About 70 cats and five dogs were killed in a house fire in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, this evening, which also claimed the life of an elderly woman.
The homeowner, Norhaeda Azahari, said the cats were kept in cages when the fire broke out, according to a report by Sinar Harian. She added that five stray dogs she regularly fed also died in the blaze.
Earlier, Bernama reported that an 89-year-old woman was burned to death in the fire, which almost completely destroyed the house near Jalan Tok Guru.
Sinar Harian identified the victim as Fatimah Mat Said. Norhaeda is her adopted daughter.
Norhaeda said she was at work in Pengkalan Chepa when she received a call at about 6pm informing her of the fire. She rushed home but was told that Fatimah had already died.
“I am still in shock. My adopted mother and my pets are gone,” she said.
A neighbour said she saw the elderly woman waving and shouting for help but was unable to assist due to the intense heat from the fire.
Kota Bharu Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Satyuti Satar said they received an emergency call at about 6pm and deployed 27 personnel to the scene. When fire engines arrived minutes later, about 98% of the house had already been destroyed.
He added that the cause of the fire and the estimated losses are still under investigation.
