GEORGE TOWN: Four people perished in an early morning fire at their two storey house at Pintasan Cecil 5, Pengkalan Weld here today.
The deceased comprise two women, aged 35 and 62; and two children – an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy. Their identities have yet to be established.
The Fire and Rescue Department said they received a distress call on the blaze at about 6am, and two personnel were deployed to the scene.
Operation commander Rozairi Abd Rahim said the fire was put out at 7.10am.
"We (later entered the burnt house) and found three (charred corpses) of two adults and one child in the (ground floor) living room and toilet.
"Another child was found dead on the first floor,” he said.
Rozairi said that 60 per cent of the house was razed, and that the forensic unit is at the scene to investigate the cause of the blaze.
10.15am UPDATE:
Authorities have just confirmed the identities of the deceased:
1. Im Jia Yiin, 8-year-old girl
2. Lim Yin Chun, 9-year-old boy
3. Chen Yen, 35-year-old woman from China
4. Lau Sai Poh, 62-year-old woman
11am UPDATE:
Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng has revealed that the victims were family members of Tanjung MCA Youth chief Lim Swee Bok.