Seven family members lose homes in rental property fire

A family of seven in Kota Bharu has lost their homes of 17 years after a fire ravaged two rented houses in Kampung Kota Jembal. The blaze, which broke out around 5 AM, is believed to have originated from a short circuit in one of the houses.

Night market trader Zairini Hamzah, 52, and her daughter Hazwani Padlisah's family, 32, were left with nothing as they fled the inferno. Zairini recounted being asleep when the fire started, quickly waking her two young grandchildren before escaping. "I only managed to grab my handbag containing money and all documents, including pawn tickets. All the food stock stored in the refrigerator to be sold at the Kota Jembal night market tomorrow also burned down," she said at the scene.

The family suspects the fire was caused by an old and faulty wiring system, which had not been inspected or replaced since Zairini began renting the houses in 2009. The fire not only consumed the homes but also destroyed two cars, a Proton Wira and a Proton Juara, and two motorcycles, a Yamaha Y15 and a Yamaha NVX.

Firefighters from the Pengkalan Chepa station responded to the emergency call at 5:24 AM. A team of 19 personnel worked for nearly an hour to bring the fire under control, with the operation concluding around 6:25 AM. The family is now facing the daunting task of rebuilding their lives after this devastating loss.