A shop owner sustained serious injuries after he leaped from the first floor of his shop house to escape the fire at Carpenter Street this morning at about 4.30 am where four shops had their upper level razed.Chai Ham Siong 31 was sleeping on the first floor when he woke up due to the heat and could not see anything due to the thick smoke. He had no choice but to jump from his room and suffered burn on his upper body.
A neighbour rushed him to the Sarawak General hospital where he had been placed in the intensive care unit.
A neighbour rushed to the Padungan Fire station to alert the firemen of the fire.
Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA) received the distress call at 5.19am and two fire engine engines from Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang Fire Station rushed to the scene.
Deputy Bomba operation director, Farhan Sufyan Borhan said the fire was under control at 6.47 am.He said the fire walls between the shop houses were low and did not meet with the department's requirement.
The shops were almost a century old. The cause and losses of the fire is still being investigated.
