A couple’s festive plans were ruined after a fire gutted their rented home in Dungun, destroying new Raya outfits, cookies and duit raya.
DUNGUN: A couple’s preparations for Aidilfitri were completely destroyed after their rented house in Kampung Tanah Lot caught fire this morning.
Mohd Ridzuan Abu Bakar, 36, said his plan with his wife, Siti Zulaikha Ramli, 35, to wear matching red outfits for Hari Raya was dashed when the clothes were among the items lost in the blaze at about 8.15 am.
“We had placed early orders for our baju Melayu and baju kurung even before Ramadan and were looking forward to wearing them on Hari Raya,” he said when met at the scene.
He added that other festive preparations, including cookies and a sum of duit raya kept in the house, were also lost in the fire.
The private sector employee said both he and his wife were at work when the incident occurred and he only learned about it after receiving a call from a friend at about 8.25 am.
Dungun Fire and Rescue Station chief Deputy Fire Superintendent II Yahaya Hanapi said the department received an emergency call at 8.21 am and arrived at the scene three minutes later.
He said 13 personnel from the Dungun Fire and Rescue Station and eight from the Paka Fire and Rescue Station were deployed with two fire engines to battle the blaze.
“The fire was brought under control at 9.02 am before it was fully extinguished about 30 minutes later,” he said, adding that the semi-permanent house was almost completely destroyed.
Yahaya stated that the cause of the fire and the estimated losses are still under investigation.
