ARAU: Twenty-six motorcycles belonging to Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) students parked beneath a dormitory block in Pauh Putra were destroyed in an early morning fire today.
The incident, believed to have occurred around 4.41am at Block B of the Pauh Putra Residential Complex, also caused minor damage to 10 motorcycles belonging to students residing in the dormitory.
A spokesperson for the Perlis Fire and Rescue Department said that six firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
"We received an emergency call around 4.41am, and upon arrival, we found the fire had already spread, destroying and damaging 36 motorcycles parked in the parking area.
"The motorcycles sustained 90 per cent damage, and the fire was fully contained by approximately 5.13am.
Arau police chief Ahmad Mohsin Md Rodi, when contacted, said that based on initial examinations, only 26 motorcycles of various types were burnt, while the other 10 had minor damages.
"The cause of the fire is still unknown, pending the forensic investigation report from the Fire and Rescue Department.
"Officers have already visited the scene for preliminary investigation," he said.
Meanwhile, victim, Wan Muhammad Hasief Wan Shahar, 26, an engineering student, said that during the incident, he was sound asleep before being awakened by his friend, informing him that the dormitory block was engulfed in flames.
"I was staying on the fifth floor, and my friend woke me up saying there was a fire, I thought it was the dormitory block on fire.
"I brought down whatever belongings I could salvage, including my laptop, but when I got downstairs, I saw my motorcycle, which I had been using for just a year, engulfed in flames.
"I couldn't do anything to save my motorcycle because the situation was intense, with flames raging, and I estimate my losses to be around RM14,500," he said.
His friend, Muhammad Muaz Mohd Sofi, 25, also couldn't do anything to save his motorcycle, which he had been using for over five years, as the fire had spread quickly.