CAUSE OF BLAZE WHICH KILLED CRADLE FUND CEO STILL UNDER PROBE
Message by a relative says fire started when handphone exploded
THE Selangor Fire and Rescue Department is investigating the fire that claimed the life of Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Nazrin Hassan.
Its Fire Investigation Division deputy director, Hafisham Mohd Noor, said the forensic team had taken samples of a mobile phone retrieved from the scene, which would be sent to a laboratory in Bukit Jelutong for examination.
“A K9 unit was also deployed yesterday to determine whether there was a possibility of mischief in the fire. We are waiting for the result,” he said on Friday.
Nazrin died of smoke inhalation after he was trapped in a bedroom of his house in Mutiara Damansara here on Thursday.
He also suffered burns to the body.
A message on social media claimed that the fire occurred when Nazrin’s phone, which was being charged, overheated and exploded.
The message was believed to have been written by the victim’s brother-in-law.
“At some point, the phone became overheated and exploded. The force caused a blunt trauma to the back of the head, which killed him. The mattress caught fire, but he was already lifeless at that point.
“My BIL (brother-inlaw) is a techie of sort, always changing phones for the fun of it. He had two phones... I don’t know which one exploded. Who would have thought such a routine procedure would cause three young kids to grow up without their father by their side,” the message read.
The writer also advised people not to charge their mobile phones in their bedroom.
“The next time you charge your mobile phone, consider a safe zone. Better still, not in the bedroom.
“My BIL is never coming back and my nephews will grow up not remembering what a wonderful man he is. It’s worth the inconvenience of not having your mobile a hand reach away.”
Cradle Fund is an agency which oversees the development of tech entrepreneurs and the Malaysian start-up ecosystem, under the Finance Ministry. It was the agency that gave early funding to successful companies, such as ride-hailing pioneer Grab (previously MyTeksi) and fintech start-up iMoney.