Man finds brother and family burnt to death
KUCHING: A family of three was found scorched by fire in a rented shophouse at Lorong Bandar Baru Samarahan here yesterday.
The victims were identified as 42-year- old Saruji Arip; his wife Syaidatul Farhanah Md Yusof, 29, and their three-yearold son Muhammad Nur Haqinie Muhammad Zaqri Zairy.
The heartbreaking incident only came to light when Saruji’s brother, Muhamad Arip, 45,
Straightaway after entering, I sensed burnt smell and saw black marks on the door caused by fire before I saw my brother’s body lying on the bed with my sister-in-law and nephew’s bodies on the floor, totally scorched. Muhamad Arip, victim’s brother
received a phone call from his sister-in- law’s office that she had not gone to work and was not answering the phone.
Worried that something unfortunate might have happened, Muhamad went to the Kota Samarahan police station to request help when he could not get through to his brother.
Following that, Muhammad and a team of police went to the third f loor of the shophouse at around 12.30pm and forcefully opened the main door and bedroom which were locked from the inside.
“Straightaway after entering, I sensed burnt smell and saw black marks on the door caused by fire before I saw my brother’s body lying on the bed with my sister-in-law and nephew’s bodies on the floor, totally scorched,” he said when met by reporters at the scene.
He said the last time he spoke to his brother was on Saturday night through the phone when he asked him to go back to their house in Kampung Temenggong, Jalan Telaga Air that had been affected by flood.
Saruji, who was the seventh of 10 siblings, however did not show up the next day and could not be contacted.
Saruji worked as a driver for the Kota Samarahan Immigration Department while his wife, originally from Negeri Sembilan, worked at the Kota Samarahan National Registration Department (JPN).
They were married in June 2014.
Samarahan district police chief DSP Lee Chong Chern, who confirmed the incident, said no elements of crime were detected at the scene.
“We have requested for a post- mortem to be carried out immediately this afternoon (yesterday) and the doctors have agreed,” Lee said.
The case was classified as sudden death while awaiting the results of the post-mortem.
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department director Nor Hisham Mohamad rushed to scene as soon as he received the emergency call at 12.32pm.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and it is understood that the fire was confined to the bedroom.