Mother, daughter perish in Hutan Melintang fire

The victims in the 3.30 am incident have been identified as S.Kalaivani, 48, and G.Vikneswary, 13.

Perak Fire and Rescue director Datuk Yahaya Madis said personnel in three fire trucks from Hutan Melintang station and Teluk Intan station were despatched to the location following a distress call at 3.53am.

He said the remains of the victims still holding on to each other were found in the living room.

"They were believed to have fallen from the upper floor when the burning wooden floor gave way, and suffocated by the smoke," he told Bernama when met at the scene today.

According to him, the house was occupied by a family of seven.

He said Kalaivani's husband R.Ganasegaran, 51, was sleeping on the ground floor when he awoke to find the house on fire, which originated from the kitchen and quickly got the family including his father P. Ramasamy, 83, out of the house.

"He went upstairs to rescue his wife and daughter but failed and had to jump out to save himself. He is now in the intensive care unit at Teluk Intan Hospital for second-degree burns," Yahaya said.

He said the victims' remains were sent to the same hospital for post-mortem and an investigation was being conducted into the cause of the fire which destroyed 80 per cent of the house.