Swift action by father saves 23 students

Swift action by an assistant engineer in informing the Fire and Rescue Department about a fire which broke out at a religious school at Batu 7, Jalan Meru near here saved the life of 23 students. Sahipulbahry Sahiddin, 46, who spotted thick smoke spewing from the Pusat Tahfiz Darul Mustafa religious school, quickly rushed into the burning school and alerted all the students, including his son, who were fast asleep when the incident happened about 3.54pm on Sunday. Two fire-engines from Sungai Pinang and Kota Raja fire stations went to the scene after receiving a distress call at 4.04pm and brought the blaze under control within 30 minutes. \"When I arrived at the school, all the students, including my son, were fast asleep when the fire started from a room, located at the back of the school. \"I immediately woke them up and told them to run out of the building before calling the fire station,\" he told reporters at the scene here sunday. The school, a converted single storey house destroyed in the blaze, was established as a full-time religious school in 2010 and accepted students from the ages of 11 to 17. House owner, Mohd Salehhodin Sabiyee, 49, said most of the residents in the area were at a wedding reception nearby. \"The fire spread so fast, leaving the students no chance to salvage any belongings,\" he said. He estimated his losses of household items in the fire at almost RM200,000. Meanwhile, Sungai Pinang Fire and Rescue station chief Isa Bakar said the cause of the fire was being investigated. Bernama - The Star