GEORGE TOWN: A senior citizen sustained minor injuries in a fire which razed four terrace houses, including his, at Ladang Hong Seng in Mount Erskine here this afternoon.
Tan Kok Kheng, 70, is believed to have been injured by intense heat from the flames while he was making his escape from his house in the 4.15pm incident.
Aside from Tan, the occupants of the other three houses also escaped the blaze.
All the residents, however, were unable to rescue any of their belongings.
Bagan Jermal Fire and Rescue Department operations officer Mohamad Rafizi Arafpin said the department was alerted to the fire at about 4.17pm and immediately rushed to the scene.
"When we arrived, we found four terrace houses on fire.
"A senior citizen was slighlty injured due to the intense heat," he added.
At the site, an elderly woman, whose identity is not immediately known, was seen crying and telling those who comforted her that she had lost everything.
Meanwhile, quick action by firefighters managed to prevent the fire from further spreading to other houses.
Houses in Ladang Hong Seng are huddled close together along winding lanes on a hilly terrain.
The cause of the fire and losses are still under probe.