SUBANG JAYA: Authorities, in their initial assessment of the fire incident at the USJ2 home today, believed the four victims had attempted to escape but were prevented by raging fire coming from the ground floor of the double-storey house.
This was revealed by the fire incident investigators conducting checks at the house after it was destroyed in a fire today. They also said that initial checks showed the blaze could have started in the living room.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Mohd Sani Harul said the victims -- a couple aged 58 and 52, and their children aged 20 and 17 -- were believed to have died of smoke inhalation.
"From our initial investigation, the fire is believed to have started in the living room. However, what could have caused it is still being investigated.
"We believe the victims had tried to escape once they realised what had happened, but could not get downstairs due to the fire.
"Two of the victims were found inside one of the bedrooms, another victim in a different bedroom, while the fourth victim was found in a bathroom," he told the New Straits Times.
Sani said the department received a distress call at 5.34am, and dispatched 16 firemen in two fire engines from Subang Jaya and Section 7 stations.
However, by the time the team arrived at the scene in Jalan USJ 2/5A about 10 minutes later, the ground floor of the house had already been engulfed by the blaze.
"It was estimated that the ground floor was already about 80 per cent destroyed. The team managed to control the fire about 30 minutes later."
The incident saw property agent Lim Ah Kok, 58, his wife Goh Bee Khim, 52, college student Lim Yong Lieng, 20, and SMK Seafield student Lim Yong Wei, 17, killed.
Their remains were sent to Serdang Hospital for post-mortem.