CONTRIBUTORS’ INFORMATION AND SAVINGS NOT AFFECTED, SAYS EPF
PETALING JAYA: For 30 years, Ismail Abdullah worked at the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) building in Jalan Gasing.
In all that time, there had been minor fire incidents, mostly from careless and callous employees throwing still-lit cigarettes into dustbins. But never had he seen a fire such as the one which took place yesterday.
Ismail, 70, is the secretary of the EPF Retirees Association. As such, he has an office adjacent to the main building and was there yesterday.
“These (minor fires) had happened a number of times. But, each time, the fire was put out in time,” he said.
“Such minor incidents were never reported in the press.”
At noon, Ismail heard shouts of “fire” and cries of panic, and quickly made his way out of the building.
Ismail said he kept calm as, having worked there for 30 years, he had “experience in fire emergency evacuation”.
“I was not worried as I was prepared. Nevertheless, fires can be scary and I heard people shouting in panic, especially women,” he said.
Ismail noted that some workers, who were doing repair work outside the building, jumped from the first floor to escape.
Ismail advised EPF to conduct a thorough check of the building’s safety aspects in the aftermath of the incident.
He said the 150-odd employees at the building had just undergone a fire drill six months ago.
He said it must have helped in ensuring that everyone escaped the fire safely.
Staff were in confusion as several thought the fire alarm was a drill.
Others, however, reported hearing explosions as they were leaving the building.
One of those who thought it was a drill was Suhaimi Herizan, who worked on the first floor of the six-storey building.
“Fire drills are conducted at least once a year.
“Little did I know that there was a real fire this time because, based on my experience over the last 18 years, there has never been such an incident.
“So, I did not think there was a real fire in the building until I saw it.
“Thank God it wasn’t too late before I realised that the building was really on fire and made my exit,” he said at the scene, a look of shock still on his face.
Another EPF employee, S. Saraswathy, said she was at the ground floor’s enquiry counter when the fire broke out.
“I heard the fire alarm go off, but thought it may be faulty... then I heard people screaming ‘fire, fire, api, api’ and saw them rushing out. That was when I heard a loud explosion, and saw thick, black smoke.
“I quickly grabbed my handbag and dashed out with the rest.”
She said while everyone was assembling outside the building, she again heard a loud explosion, but was not sure where it came from.
Another employee, Ahmad Sharwan, 26, said the fire started at the back of the building, on the first floor.
“It spread very fast. I saw the fire on the outside at first, but within minutes, it had started to burn up the window frames on the first floor,” he said.
He said, by then, the thick smoke had filled the first floor.