Kampung pamah kulat: A sundry shopkeeper heard screams coming from a neighbouring house where five family members perished in a fire in Kampung Pamah Kulat, near here, early this morning. Ruslah Ismail, 64, said she heard screams while preparing food for sahur at about 3 am.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ruslah recounted, "I had already woken up and was about to cook rice. After that, I heard screams twice." She described the horrifying scene she witnessed when she looked at the house next door, "the fire was already raging." In a state of shock and urgency, Ruslah quickly acted by waking her sleeping child and gathering important belongings to prevent further loss, fearing the fire would spread to her home.

Ruslah mentioned that the firemen arrived at about 4.15 am. She shared fond memories of the family, noting, "The husband and wife ran a food business and had lived in that house for almost 10 years. They were indeed very good to us."

The house owner, Nor Rizan Kamaluddin, 59, explained that the house was constructed after a previous fire in 2014 destroyed the original house next door. Nor Rizan expressed her sorrow over the tragic loss, stating that she had known the family for a long time and they had often assisted her late mother, who resided next door. "They had rented the house for a long time. We were truly shocked and deeply saddened because we saw the victims' children grow up before our eyes," she shared.

The incident was relayed to Nor Rizan by a neighbor, prompting her to arrive at the scene, located about 200 meters from her home, at 3.45 am while the fire was still active.

Datuk Mohd Razam Taja Rahim, Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director, confirmed that firefighters arrived at the scene at 4.15 am and managed to control the blaze within 30 minutes. He reported that the fire completely destroyed the house and also damaged three cars and three motorcycles.