Man dies after helping wife escape from burning house

A semi- paralysed elderly man woke up his wife and instructed her to run out through the back door of their burning house early today, but was himself killed in the fire that engulfed their home in Taman Nira near Batu Pahat.

Juli Sukar, 72, was trapped by the fire in the house in Jalan Cengal at about 2 am, said Jalan Timah Sari Fire and Rescue Station chief assistant superintendent Mohd Fauzi Md Nor.

The fire station was summoned at 2.05 am and rushed 24 firemen in three trucks to the house, he said in a statement.

Mohd Fauzi said it was learnt that Juli heard an explosion at the electricity meter in front of the house and quickly woke up his wife and asked her to run out through the back door.

"Juli went to the front to check on the meter but was trapped by the fire which spread very fast," he said.

Mohd Fauzi said the cause of the fire and damage had yet to be ascertained.