A 37-year-old Malaysian man tragically lost his life in Jitra, Kedah, yesterday (13 March) after being trapped in a store that caught on fire after reportedly attempting to save his motorcycle.
The victim, Mohd. Syaiful Akmal Abu Hassan, who worked as a tent installer and catering equipment store manager, was found dead near the catering storage facility that was destroyed in the fire.
A fatal attempt to save his motorcycle
Kosmo! quoted Kubang Pasu District Police Chief Superintendent Mohd. Radzi Abdul Rahim as saying that an emergency call was received via the MERS 999 hotline at approximately 5:50 PM regarding the incident, which occurred near the As-Salam mosque in Kampung Pelubang.
Police officers from the Jitra Police Station and firefighters then rushed to the location, where they found the store on fire and the victim’s body nearby.
“Interviews with the victim’s family members revealed that the victim initially managed to escape the store when the fire broke out, but he is believed to have gone back inside to retrieve his motorcycle before becoming trapped in the blaze,” Mohd. Radzi stated.
He added that the victim’s body has been sent to the hospital for an autopsy, and the case has been classified as sudden death (SDR).
Initial investigations found no criminal elements in the tragic incident. The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM).
The victim tried to put out the fire alone
In a follow-up report, Kosmo! quoted a witness, 58-year-old Osman Hamzah, as saying that the victim attempted to save his motorcycle and put out the fire alone.
He added that the victim managed to escape the store, but by then, he had already suffered severe burns.
Osman shared:
“The incident happened so fast. At the time, I was at my workplace about 50 metres away and immediately ran to the location to help and stop him from entering the store, but I failed.
‘The deceased ran out after that, but he was severely burnt. Perhaps he felt guilty that the store caught fire and tried to extinguish the flames himself.”
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