KLANG: Eighteen people including several children were rushed to the hospital for smoke inhalation when a plastic material store on the ground floor of their building in Taman Seri Andalas was razed in a fire this morning.
The 11am fire also destroyed five cars and a motorcycle parked in front of the four-storey building along Jalan Seri Sarawak 18.
Klang Fire and Rescue Department acting zone chief Amer Haizal Sahak said checks by his men upon arrival at the scene showed that the fire, which was intense at the front portion of the store, had spread to the upper floors.
"Thirty firemen as well as four fire engines from the Sungai Pinang, Andalas, Kota Raja and Port Klang stations were deployed to the scene to put out the fire.
"As the premises was still on fire and smoke was thick, we had to use a ladder to evacuate 18 victims living in six residential units above the store," he said when met at the scene.
Amer added that all the victims, including 10 children, were sent to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (HTAR).
The fire was successfully controlled at 11.45am but the operation to completely extinguish the blaze is still ongoing.