About 50 children and teachers evacuated safely after pre-school fire in Chukai destroys 70% of building during breakfast session.
CHUKAI: Fifty pre-school pupils and teachers faced anxious moments when their Islamic education centre caught fire this morning.
The blaze at Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam Raudhatul Athfal broke out around 10am while 46 children aged four to six were having breakfast.
Teacher Nur Amyrah Salihah Mohd Yusoff said passers-by first noticed smoke coming from the building’s upper section.
“My three colleagues and I quickly rushed the children out of the building, and then we saw flames shooting up and engulfing the entire upper section before spreading to other areas,” she told reporters.
All books and furniture were destroyed in the fire, and pupils have been given temporary leave.
Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Saariah Hassan said 18 firefighters responded to the emergency call at 10.09am.
“The fire involved a semi-permanent single-storey building, of which about 70% was destroyed. When we arrived, all occupants had already been safely evacuated and the flames were raging,” Saariah said.
Firefighters took 15 minutes to bring the blaze under control. – Bernama
