SHAH ALAM: Shoppers at the Econsave supermarket in Bandar Puncak Alam were thrown into a momentary panic when a fire broke out on the building’s roof earlier today.
The incident is believed to have occurred around 1 pm while there were customers inside.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department Operations Division assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said an emergency call was received at 1.14 pm.
Two fire engines from the Bestari Jaya and Bukit Jelutong fire stations and 15 firefighters were dispatched to the scene.
“Upon arrival, we found that the fire had affected the supermarket’s roof structure, with flames spreading to an area measuring 400 by 400 square feet,“ he said.
“No casualties were reported, and the blaze was quickly brought under control,” Ahmad Mukhlis said in a statement today.
He added that investigations to determine the cause of the fire are currently in progress.
Earlier, photos and videos of the incident went viral on social media, showing shoppers and supermarket staff rushing out of the building after the premises began to fill with smoke.
A Facebook post by the page Teksi Puncak Alam also shared a video of the scene, showing the situation under control, with people gathered outside the building as the emergency alarm sounded.
Meanwhile, a Bernama check at the scene around 4 pm found the situation back to normal, with traders and staff allowed to re-enter the premises.
According to witnesses, the panic began when workers and shoppers noticed flames on the ceiling, followed by smoke quickly filling the entire premises.
Amin Azad, 32, a cleaner, said he was initially shocked but quickly sprang into action, helping the vendors save their merchandise such as clothes, food and sewing machines, until fire and rescue personnel instructed everyone to evacuate the building.
“My colleagues also helped move the items and guided customers to the parking area near the supermarket entrance,“ he told Bernama.
Amin added that most of the goods were only wet from the water hoses but otherwise not damaged by the fire.
Meanwhile, Coway saleswoman Norsham Hamdan, 42, said she was stunned at first but rushed to safety with her workers as soon as they heard screams and saw flames on the supermarket ceiling.
Norsham, a tenant at the supermarket for the past five years, shared that this was her first encounter with a fire.
“Once it was put out, the fire and rescue team allowed me to remove my merchandise to prevent theft,“ she said.
She explained that items such as water filters, massage chairs, mattresses, and air purifiers were temporarily stored at her home in Kuang while she awaited permission to resume her business.
