TRADERS LOST UP TO RM1m IN BLAZE
The 26 ravaged stalls were packed with Hari Raya stock
LOSSES due to the bazaar fire in Jalan Masjid India here on Tuesday morning are estimated at between RM800,000 and RM1 million.
The fire ravaged 26 stalls in front of Wisma Yakin, behind the Masjid India mosque.
Trader Mohd Shukri Suhaimi, 42, was at a hotel nearby when the incident happened.
“I stay here every Ramadan, so I can keep an eye on my stall. We normally close late for customers who come after terawih prayers.
“At 1am, I saw one of the stalls burning from the hotel room. I quickly went down to try to move my stall away, but I could not break open the padlock. The fire then spread to the adjacent stalls,” he added.
Shukri believed the fire could have been caused by faulty electrical wiring at one of the stalls.
Rashid Ali, 49, lost his clothing shop in the fire.
“I lost all my Raya stock in the fire. I estimated the loss at around RM70,000.
“Thankfully, the authorities have plans to relocate us to another place.
“In the meantime, I am going through the rubble to find what I can salvage,” he said.
Hafiz Hazwan, 30, who sells jewellery, was thankful that only part of his stall was destroyed.
“I managed to recover some of my stock. I lost about RM10,000. I pity the other traders who suffered bigger losses.
“I am also thankful for the firefighters who managed to put out the fire quickly. I heard we are going to be relocated, but our association is still negotiating to get us a more convenient location,” he added.
Masjid India’s Traders Association secretary Azlinda Mohd Sharip said the estimated losses were high because the traders had stocked up for Hari Raya sales.
She also believed that the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring. However, Azlinda said three to four fire extinguishers at the location had passed their shelf life, and could not be used to put out the fire.
Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director Nordin Pauzi said although investigations were in progress, no elements of foul play had been found.
“The fire had spread fast because the temporary structures built for the bazaar did not have the same safety criteria as a permanent structure, which could have prevented the fire from spreading.
“The stalls were also packed with items that caught fire easily. However, as of now, our investigation did not show any suspicious elements,” he told the New Straits Times yesterday. Nordin added that there were no fire extinguishers at the stalls, and although some traders managed to get a few from other places, the fire was already beyond control.