.png)
THREE members of a family of five who perished in a pre-dawn house fire in Kampung Pamah Kulat were found in a bathroom, while two young girls were discovered outside the burning home, authorities said.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said the three victims found in the bathroom were an adult man and woman and their daughter. The two other victims, both young girls, were believed to have attempted to flee the house.
“The two children were found already burnt outside the house as soon as firefighters arrived at 4.15am.
“The other three were found in the bathroom with burn injuries after the fire was fully extinguished,” he told reporters at the scene.
The tragedy shocked residents who had been preparing for their pre-dawn meal. Ruslah Ismail, 64, a grocery trader living nearby, said she heard screams at about 3am as she was about to cook rice.
“I heard screams twice. When I looked outside, the neighbouring house was already engulfed in flames. I quickly woke my child and gathered important belongings because I was afraid the fire would spread,” she said.
She described feeling panicked as the blaze intensified before firefighters arrived at 4.15am.
“The husband and wife ran a food business and had lived there for almost 10 years. They were very good to us,” she added.
The house owner, Nor Rizan Kamaluddin, 59, said the property had been built after the original house next to the site was destroyed by fire in 2014. He said he had known the victims for many years and that they had often assisted his late mother, who lived nearby.
“They had rented the house for a long time. We are deeply shocked and saddened because we watched the children grow up before our eyes.
“They were very kind and helpful. When my mother was still alive, the victim would contact our family if she needed anything,” he said.
Nor Rizan said he was alerted by neighbours and arrived at the scene, about 200 metres from his home, at 3.45am while the fire was still raging.
Earlier, Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Mohd Razam Taja Rahim said firefighters reached the scene at 4.15am and brought the blaze under control by 4.48am.
The fire destroyed the house completely and also damaged three cars and three motorcycles, he said.
In a new development, police have confirmed the identities of five family members who tragically died in a house fire at Kampung Pamah Kulat, Ulu Dong, early this morning.
Raub police chief Supt Mohd Shahril Abdul Rahman said the victims were Mohd Alawi Muhammad, 56, his wife Zaleha Adam @ Ibrahim, 44, and their three daughters, Ruby Adira Batrisya Mohd Alawi, 17, Ruby Adlina Banin Mohd Alawi, 14, and Ruby Azyan Barizah Mohd Alawi, 10.
“At the time of the fire, the couple’s two other children were not at home. Ruby Adalia Balqis Mohd Alawi, 19, is a student at Gambang Matriculation College in Kuantan, while Ahmad Balia Murqam Mohd Alawi, 15, is studying at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dong,” he said in a statement today.
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, with authorities urging the public to exercise fire safety precautions. - February 26, 2026
