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No foul play in Kampung Cina shophouses fire, says fire dept [NSTTV]

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department found no element of crime in a fire at a row of shophouses in Kampung Cina here on Sunday night.

Its director Md Hilman Abd Rashid said the department was now investigating other factors that could have caused the fire that engulfed the 12 shophouses.

"Yesterday, we came to investigate. In the initial stage, we used the K9 unit from Kuala Lumpur to identify the cause of the fire, but they found no element of a crime.

"So we will focus on other causes, possibly due to the electrical wiring... we also do not rule out other causes, we have to go (investigate) every possible cause," he told reporters after accompanying Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar to the scene today.

According to Hilman, the excavation had to be done manually to find the cause of the incident due to groundwater at the site.

"This will take some time, and once we get the evidence, we will take it to the laboratory (for analysis), and the result may be out in a week.

"As long as the investigation at the scene is not completed, we will cordon off this area," he said.

He also advised owners of old buildings to rewire the electrical systems to avoid untoward incidents, adding that there are more than 50 old buildings in Kampung Cina that were built since the 1940s.

Meanwhile, Samsuri said the state government would discuss with the owners involved to ensure the redevelopment of the premises destroyed by the fire can be done according to the characteristics of the area.

"We have to convince the owners so that the state government can help maintain the atmosphere here," said Samsuri, who also presented a contribution of RM2,000 to each head of household involved.

He said a town hall with agencies, such as the Fire and Rescue Department would also be held to provide information on safety to the residents of Kampung Cina and other densely populated areas to prevent similar incidents from ocurring. - BERNAMA

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