M'sian woman, 80, cries & refuses to leave paralysed son, 53, behind after KL house catches fire

An elderly Malaysian woman, 80, refused to leave her paralysed son, 53, behind after a fire broke out and consumed five terrace houses in Taman Ehsan, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur on Apr. 30.

According to New Straits Times (NST), the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department had reported that a 53-year-old man was found dead in the fire.

The Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said they received a distress call at 2:31am, and fire engines arrived at the scene at 2:50am.

The woman and her husband had been taking care of their son since he was paralysed after a car accident around 30 years ago, China Press reported.

At the time of the incident, the son was resting in his room while his elderly parents were at the back of the house.

Refused to budge

According to Guangming Daily, when the elderly woman saw the fire engulfing the bedroom, she knew that her bedridden son was trapped.

She ignored her own safety, sat in the backyard and started wailing, refusing to leave.

Witnesses said that, as the situation was critical and flames blocked the road, neighbours decided to carry the elderly couple away from the fire.

A female neighbour told Guangming Daily: "She kept saying that the child was still in the house, but the fire was so fierce that everyone was worried about her safety, so they had to take her away from the scene immediately".

Elderly couple eventually rescued by neighbour

The elderly couple was rescued by their 26-year-old neighbour, Harvison, who was heartbroken that he failed to save their disabled son, who died in the fire, reported NST.

Harvison told NST that he was awoken by his neighbours shouting about the fire.

He said, "I thought my own house was on fire, but I ran out and saw the house behind me burning. I went back into my house, exited through the back door, and tried to enter their house through the kitchen."

Harvison jumped in, but the fire was too big and had reached the back of the house.

Fire too intense

According to NST, Harvison managed to pull the elderly couple to safety, but as he and several other neighbours attempted to rescue the disabled man trapped in his bedroom, the fire was too intense.

Harvison said, "I am very tired and have not slept since 1am, but every time I close my eyes, I can still hear his voice screaming for help. It is truly sad."

He added that he was not close to the disabled man but was told that the man had been paralysed since his 20s.

"I know the elderly couple very well. My siblings and I have known them since childhood as they bought the house at the same time as my father."

Houses burned down

The fire burned through five terrace houses, with the unit in the middle destroyed completely, reported Guangming Daily.

Adjacent units faced 80 per cent and 20 per cent damage, respectively.

Neighbours told Guangming Daily that the elderly couple have two sons and one daughter.

The elderly couple are currently staying at Harvison's family's home while their relatives search for suitable accommodation, reported NST.