SHAH ALAM, March 13 — The residence of former Berita Harian Women's Editor Zubaidah Abdul Rahman was one of two double-storey terrace houses destroyed in a fire along Jalan Meranti 3/7 in Section 3 today.
This was confirmed by her son Iskandar Alang Zainuddin @ Iskandar Alang Bendahara.
“Luckily, my mum survived with minor burns on her body. She is being treated at the Shah Alam Hospital,” he said via WhatsApp.
Zubaidah, 84, is the widow of former Berita Harian sports writer and former Sportswriters Association president Zainuddin Bendahara, who died of heart failure in 2006 aged 62.
Meanwhile, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mokhtar said 22 firefighters from the Shah Alam and Bukit Jelutong fire and rescue stations were dispatched and reached the scene five minutes after the department received an emergency call at 8.23pm.
"Upon arrival, the team found that Zubaidah's house was 90 per cent engulfed, while the other was 50 per cent burnt.
"A car was also found to be 80 per cent destroyed in the fire, with work to put out the blaze still ongoing,” he said in a statement.
Mukhlis added that one person sustained minor injuries while another suffered second-degree burns while trying to escape the blaze.
Meanwhile, Zubaidah's 55-year-old son, Iskandar Muda Zainuddin, who suffered five per cent burns on his hands, said the blaze occurred while they were breaking fast together.
"We only noticed smoke at about 7pm. We believe the fire was caused by a short circuit that started from the TNB meter wire.
"We all managed to get out of the house, but suffered injuries trying to barge our way out to save ourselves, resulting in my mum suffering burns on her back,” he said.
Iskandar Muda added that he only managed to grab his wallet and mobile as he rushed out, while some important documents belonging to his mother, such as bank cards and other documents, were destroyed in the fire.
"Now, my mother's left with nothing but the clothes on her back,” he said.
