Contractor burnt to death

Firemen find 53-year-old dead in blaze just before making final payment for flat

ALOR SETAR: A contractor who was about to pay the last instalment for his flat was burnt to death in a fire at his home.

The body of Ng Eng Hoo ( pic), a 53year-old home renovation contractor, was found on the bedroom floor by firemen, who put out the blaze at the Taman Setia Jaya flat in Jalan Langgar here.

His father, Ng Ka Cheng, 80, said he rushed to the scene upon being told about the fire, which broke out on Friday.

“I had just given my son RM4,800 to make the final payment for the flat.

“The last time I spoke to him was last Thursday.

“We had a normal conversation,” he said.

Ng’s wife Kow Chin Guek was too distraught to speak to reporters. The couple have four children. Alor Setar fire station chiefmahmad Fauzi said Ng, who lived on the first floor unit with his wife, was alone during the incident.

He said firemen managed to put out the blaze at around 7.57pm after receiving a distress call some 50 minutes earlier.

Mahmad said that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

Mahmad added that Ng’s body had been sent to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for a post-mortem.

Neighbour Ooi Poh Sim, 54, said she was taking a shower when she heard her daughter shouting.

“She told me that she had heard an explosion and saw flames coming from the flat next door. We both rushed out,” she said.