Fire guts upper floor of 100-year-old pre-war shoplots in Kuantan

 

Firemen putting out the fire are the premises in Jalan Mahkota. -BERNAMA PIC

KUANTAN: Fire destroyed the upper floors of two pre-war shoplots, including a clothing store, along Jalan Mahkota here late last night.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said a distress call was received at 11.33pm, prompting a response from the Kuantan fire station.

"Upon arrival, the fire was already raging on the upper floor of Unit No. 43, a clothing shop. It had also spread to the upper level of the adjacent premises," he said at the scene today.

He said preliminary inspections indicated the fire originated on the upper floor of the clothing shop, while the ground floor sustained no significant damage.

"Damping-down efforts are ongoing to ensure no embers remain and to prevent rekindling. The operation has proceeded smoothly with no water supply issues, and no casualties were reported," he said.

Razam said the department's Fire Investigation Unit has yet to determine the cause of the fire or estimate the total losses.

He added that both structures were over 100 years old and constructed largely of timber, which accelerated the spread of the flames.

The operation involved 33 firefighters from the Kuantan, Indera Mahkota, Gebeng, Taman Tas, and Peramu stations.

Clothing shop owner Norhan Mohd Nor, 51, said he was informed of the fire at 11.30pm and arrived 15 minutes later.

He said the premises served as a central storage and distribution hub for his two outlets in Kuantan and contained significant new inventory stocked for the upcoming festive season.

"A lot of festive stock had just come in. There is really nothing we can do now. This shop was the central point for distributing stock to other outlets, so the losses are substantial," he said. - NST