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Taman Kepong shophouse on fire

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Chong, 66, could only sob as he watched his 75-year-old home burn down, along with three unoccupied shops, in Jalan Metro Prima, Taman Kepong, at 12.45pm.

He had spent his entire life in the single-storey shop that he had inherited from his father during the Japanese occupation.

At the time of the fire, Chong was there with his wife, 50, and three daughters, aged 20, 17 and 12.

Clad in an orange t-shirt and a pair of shorts, Chong was limping as he sprained his ankle while escaping from the fire. He declined to be interviewed.

His eldest daughter, Chong Pik Yan, told Bernama that during the incident, only she and her parents were home. Her sisters were at school.

“The shop was not open today, so, luckily there were no customers,” she said. The family would be staying at a relative’s house for a while, she said.

The family are left with literally only the clothes on their backs as the fire had spread too rapidly for them to salvage any of their possessions.

She said the back portion of the house had been renovated to serve as the family residence.

Jinjang Fire and Rescue Station Chief Nor Azhar Tajudin said the fire had spread quickly because 80% of the building was made of wood.

“We brought the fire under control in 15 minutes, but the entire operation took about two hours,” he said.

He said 36 members of the department and six fire-fighting vehicles from four stations rushed to the scene. – Bernama, August 13, 2015.