Elderly woman burnt to death in house fire

A septuagenarian was burnt to death in a pre-dawn fire which razed her house at Jalan Lama Wakaf Bharu here.

The charred remains of Zainab Abdul Rahman, 76, were found by firefighters who were inspecting the scene after putting out the fire.

Kota Bharu Zone Fire and Rescue chief Senior Fire Superintendent II Syobirin Abd Kadir said the department received a distress call at 4.32 am.

He said 28 personnel from the Kota Darulnaim, Tumpat and Wakaf Bharu fire stations rushed to the scene and put out the blaze within 12 minutes.

"The body of the victim was found in the living room of the house," he said when contacted today adding that the fire was fully extinguished at 6.33 am.

It is learnt that earlier, all occupants of the house including the victim had managed to run out of the burning house.

However, the victim suddenly went back into the burning house to save some of her important stuff but she was unable to get out as the fire spread rapidly.

Syobirin said the victim's son, in his 30s, who sustained burn injuries on his hands was taken to the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Bharu for treatment.

-- BERNAMA