DENGKIL: The four-year-old foster grandson of a popular economy rice stall operator here was killed in a fire at Taman Gemilang early yesterday morning.
The fire, which engulfed three single-storey terrace houses, started at about 4am.
The charred remains of little Tiew Heng Kai was found on a mattress in a room of one of the houses.
His foster sister, Tiew Kah Ming, five, was rescued by neighbours.
Mohamed Hamzah Ahmad Kutty, who was awakened by thick smoke and explosions from a nearby house, said neighbours tried to rescue the two children by prising open the house’s front door grille.
"The girl was seen running desperately around the house trying to find her way out. Her brother was believed to be still asleep in the middle room.
"It was heartbreaking to see the little girl crying and begging us to rescue her brother who was still in the house," he said.
"We tried to get into the house, but the roof began to collapse and several explosions were heard," he said.
When the incident occurred, the victim's parents were not home. His foster father, Soon Tiew Cheong, in his 30s, was out buying food, while his foster mother is in Indonesia visiting her sick father.
South Selangor Zone Fire and Rescue Department chief Abu Bakar Abd Kadir said the blaze is believed to have started in the kitchen of the victim's house.
The house and a Perodua Kenari were completely ruined, while houses to its left and right were over 50 per cent destroyed.
The victim's foster grandfather, Tiew Ng Ngu, 66, who lives nearby, said the two children would usually stay in his house when his daughter-in-law went back to Indonesia.
"My son took them home yesterday, as he did not want to trouble my wife... I never expected my grandson to go in such a tragic way," he said. -- BERNAMA