Nothing left: Steven and his wife, M. Krishanavenee, 48, looking for whatever they can salvage at their razed home in Hong Seng Estate, George Town. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: With Christmas just days away, Steven Morgan had been looking forward to a joyful holiday celebration.
However, in an instant, everything he cherished went up in smoke when a fire destroyed his rented home and six others in Hong Seng Estate here on Monday evening.
His family of five is now putting up at the state government’s People Housing Project (PPR) units in Lebuh Macallum here.
“We lost all our belongings and money kept for this Christmas celebration,” said the 50-year-old security officer.
“We were left with nothing but the clothes on our backs, and I managed to save my motorcycle.
“The festive decorations, personal mementos and the warmth of this home are all gone.
“The only good thing is that no lives were lost in the fire,” Steven said, adding that he lost an estimated RM20,000.
During the 6.30pm incident, seven partially wooden houses were quickly engulfed in flames, sending plumes of thick black smoke billowing into the air.
The blaze was visible from a distance, casting an eerie glow across the area as firemen rushed to the scene to bring the flames under control.
But the situation was made even more challenging due to the narrow, congested roads that hindered access for firefighting vehicles.
Recalling the incident, Morgan said the fire first broke out at his neighbour’s house.
“Within seconds, it had spread to our ceiling and quickly engulfed other houses as well.
“I managed to get my wife and 16-year-old daughter to safety, while my two other children were at work then,” he said when met at his house in Hong Seng Estate yesterday.
Another victim, Manjit Kaur, 52, was home alone when she first noticed smoke rising from the ceiling of her house.
“At first, I thought it was just smoke from our neighbour’s kitchen. But when I saw the fire spread furiously, I panicked.
“It was quickly escalating and that left me with no time to think,” she said.
Despite the chaos, Manjit managed to grab important documents, including her MyKad, before she fled the burning house.
All the affected families have now been temporarily relocated to state government’s PPR units in Lebuh Macallum or Padang Tembak until permanent arrangements can be made.
Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, when contacted, expressed her commitment to supporting the affected families during this difficult time.
“As Christmas is approaching, we understand the emotional and financial strain this disaster has caused. We will be giving out food baskets and some financial aid to the affected families,” she said.
Syerleena said she had engaged the Penang Island City Council and state Welfare Department to expedite the process of securing temporary housing and other aid for the families.
