Family members in shophouse fire died of smoke inhalation

KUCHING: A postmortem carried out on the bodies of three family members found scorched at a rented shophouse in Kota Samarahan determined the deaths were due to smoke inhalation.

Kota Samarahan district police chief DSP Lee Chong Chern said the postmortem was carried out at the Sarawak General Hospital early yesterday.

“The postmortem was completed at 4.30am today ( yesterday). Cause of death was due to smoke inhalation,” said Lee.

He added the bodies of Saruji Arip, 42, his wife Syaidatul Farhanah Mohd Yusof, 29, and their three-year- old son Muhammad Nur Haqinie Muhammad Zaqri Zairy were subsequently released to family members for burial.

The result of the postmortem appeared to indicate that all three victims were still alive when the fire started in the bedroom.

The heartbreaking incident on Monday was only realised when Saruji’s brother, Muhamad Arip,

The postmortem was completed at 4.30am today (yesterday). Cause of death was due to smoke inhalation.

DSP Lee Chong Chern, Kota Samarahan district police chief

45, received a phone call from his sister-in-law’s office that she had not gone to work and had not answered her mobile phone.

Worried that something unfortunate might have happened, Muhamad went to the Kota Samarahan police station to request help after he was unable to get through to his brother.

He then went with a team of police to the third floor of the shophouse around 12.30pm and they had to forcefully open the main door and bedroom door, which were both locked from the inside.

“Straightaway after entering, I sensed ‘ burn’ 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 body on the floor, totally scorched,” said Muhamad when met by reporters at the scene that day.

He said the last time he had spoken to Saruji was on Saturday night by phone asking him to go back to their house in Kampung Temenggong, Jalan Telaga Air, which had been affected by flood.

Saruji – the seventh child out of 10 siblings – however did not show up the next day and was unable to be contacted.

The victim 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.

The couple married in June 2014.