Malaysian woman, 89, dies in fire with her 70 cats and 5 dogs

An 89-year-old woman died with her 70 pet cats and the five stray dogs that she fed after a fire ravaged her house near Jalan Tok Guru in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia on Sunday (Jan 25). 

The victim, identified as Fatimah Mat Said, had poor eyesight but was still able to walk, reported news outlet Sinar Harian.

Her adopted daughter, Noraida Azhari, 51, told the Malay publication that she was at work when she received a call about the fire at around 6pm and rushed home. 

"70 pet cats that were kept in cages were burnt. Five stray dogs that I often fed and roamed around the house also died," Noraida was quoted saying. 

"I am still shocked by the incident, because the person and all the animals I loved disappeared in the blink of an eye," she reportedly added. 

Kota Bharu Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Satyuti Satar said the station received an emergency call at about 5.58pm, minutes after the fire broke out, reported news agency Bernama. 

He added that 27 firefighters were dispatched to the scene and fire engines arrived at 6.01pm, but the house was already engulfed in flames. 

The victim was pronounced dead on the spot. 

An eyewitness, 46-year-old Anis Sutrliati Mohamad, told Bernama that she and her cousin were having tea at her home about 20m away from the victim's house when she heard a crashing sound and saw the victim waving her hands and shouting for help. 

"The fire was raging at the time and I saw the victim fall to the lower portion of the house. I could not help because the heat was too intense, so I immediately contacted the fire department," Anis was quoted as saying. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation. 

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esther.lam@asiaone.com