GEORGE TOWN: A 6-year-old girl died of smoke inhalation while her 4-year-old brother is being treated at the Penang Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after their apartment at The Rose Collection II here caught fire this morning.
The siblings were home alone while their parents were out with their 1-year-old brother when the 9.10 am fire broke out at their three-room apartment unit on the 19th floor at Jalan Oo Lien Teh here.
According to witnesses, the fire broke out about 9am, and was put out by 10.15am by firefighters who rushed to the scene.
The cause of the fire, which damaged 80 per cent of the apartment unit and the damages are under probe.
Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Soffian Santong said, according to the victims' 34-year-old father, both he and his wife and their youngest child left to buy the daily necessities about 8.30am.
He said they had left the other two victims, who were sleeping, at home.
The father had installed a CCTV application, which is connected to his cellphone.
When he left this morning, he had activated a cell phone left in the kitchen, which is linked to his cell phone to monitor his children at home.
"The father learnt about the fire at 9am through the application before they rushed home.
"As soon as he arrived, he left his 1-year-old son with the neighbour and rushed inside the house to save his 4-year-old son, who was lying in the living room.
"His wife, meanwhile, rushed into the main room to retrieve their daughter.
"The parents, along with the victims, were then rushed to the hospital in an ambulance," he said.
A 27-year-old medical officer and other employees at the Emergency Unit immediately attended to the victims' and tried to save her but to no avail.
By the time she arrived at the hospital, the deceased had slipped into unconsciousness.
She was pronounced dead about 10.53 am.
"A post mortem conducted about 12.35 pm confirmed the deceased died as a result of smoke inhalation.
"The body has been handed over to the family and the girl will be buried at the Masjid Jamek Jelutong cemetery," he added.