Shah alam: The residence of former Berita Harian (BH) Women's Editor Zubaidah Abdul Rahman was one of two double-storey terrace houses that were destroyed in a fire on Jalan Meranti 3/7, Section 3, Shah Alam.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the incident was confirmed by her son, Iskandar Alang Zainuddin @ Iskandar Alang Bendahara. He stated, "Luckily, my mum survived with minor burns on her body. She is being treated at Shah Alam Hospital." Zubaidah, 84, is the widow of former Berita Harian sports writer and former Sportswriters Association president Zainuddin Bendahara, who passed away in 2006 due to heart failure.
Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar, the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations assistant director, reported that 22 firefighters from the Shah Alam and Bukit Jelutong fire and rescue stations arrived at the scene within five minutes of receiving the emergency call at 8.23 pm. "Upon arrival, the team found that Zubaidah's house was 90 per cent engulfed, while the other was 50 per cent burnt. A car was also found to be 80 per cent destroyed in the fire, with work to put out the blaze still ongoing," he said in a statement. Ahmad Mukhlis added that one person sustained minor injuries, while another suffered second-degree burns while trying to escape the blaze.
Zubaidah's 55-year-old son, Iskandar Muda Zainuddin, who incurred five per cent burns on his hands, recounted that the fire occurred while they were breaking fast together. "We only noticed smoke at about 7 pm. We believe the fire was caused by a short circuit that started from the TNB meter wire. We all managed to get out of the house, but suffered injuries trying to barge our way out to save ourselves, resulting in my mum suffering burns on her back," he explained.
Iskandar Muda mentioned that he was only able to grab his wallet and mobile phone as he rushed out of the house, resulting in the loss of important documents belonging to his mother, including bank cards. "Now, my mother's left with nothing but the clothes on her back," he lamented.