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A MAN was found burnt to death inside his home following a fire in Kampung Tanjung Gelam, Mengabang Telipot, on Tuesday night, after he is believed to have rushed back into the house while the blaze was already spreading.
The victim, Mohd Syafie Awang, 49, was discovered by firefighters in the living room near the main entrance of the house after the fire was extinguished at 8.02pm.
His close friend, Mohd Faizal Md Syafie, 34, said he was initially relieved after being told that Mohd Syafie had been seen outside the house when the fire broke out.
“I felt relieved because someone told me that my friend was outside the house when the incident happened, before helping members of the public to put out the fire that had begun spreading to the walls of neighbouring houses,” he said.
However, the sense of relief quickly turned into panic when Mohd Faizal noticed the charred frame of his friend’s motorcycle still within the house compound, leading him to fear that the man he regarded as a brother had been inside the house during the fire.
His fears were confirmed when firefighters later found Mohd Syafie’s body inside the house.
Mohd Faizal said he had been at his own home in the village when he was alerted by a friend that Mohd Syafie’s house was on fire and immediately rushed to the scene.
According to him, before the incident, Mohd Syafie had been chatting with friends not far from his home before suddenly running back after noticing flames inside his bedroom.
He said several friends saw Mohd Syafie enter the house through the back door, although it was unclear whether he intended to extinguish the fire or retrieve belongings.
“But I was told that it was likely the victim went into the house to take the motorcycle keys so that the vehicle, which was parked within the compound, could be moved.
“Because the fire had already intensified at that time, Mohd Syafie is believed to have tried to exit through the front door before becoming trapped by thick smoke,” he said when met at the scene.
Mohd Faizal said Mohd Syafie was the youngest of four siblings and had been living alone in the inherited family home left by their late father following his separation from his wife.
His three brothers, all married, live with their respective families in Seberang Takir and Kampung Padang Nenas.
“Every evening, he would go to his sister’s house in Kampung Padang Nenas to collect his dinner, and sometimes when his sister was visiting her children in Kuala Lumpur, I would deliver food to Mohd Syafie.
“Our relationship has always been close since childhood and we are like brothers. The last time I met him was two days ago at a shop in Kampung Padang Nenas,” he said, adding that while he was deeply saddened by the loss, he had accepted what had happened.
Meanwhile, Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Muhammad Basri Kamarazaman said the victim’s body was handed over to the police before being sent to the Forensic Unit of Sultan Zainal Abidin Hospital for further action. - January 28, 2026
