July 23, 2009 19:55 PM

Woman Found Burnt In Bedroom

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- Firemen found the charred remains of 28-year-old Ester Chong Sook Lee in her bedroom on the first floor of a three-storey house following a fire at Taman Dagang near here Thursday.

Ampang fire and rescue operation chief Mazlan Zainol said the fire, which was believed to have started at about 4pm, destroyed the bedroom.

He said a team of nine firemen and a fire engine rushed to the scene after being alerted of the fire, but found that residents had doused the flame when they arrived at the location.

He said when the fire broke out, the victim's grandfather, aged 70, was having a drink on the ground floor, while her mother, Chang Yik Ying, in her 40s, was out at work.

"The victim was believed to have suffocated from smoke inhalation and the department was conducting checks to determine the cause of the fire," he added.

A neighbour,

Salim Ngah, 53, said he saw a few children leaving and entering the house before the fire broke out.

"When I was leaving my house, I saw my neighbour's house on fire and with the help of a few other neighbours, helped to douse the flame and then asked the grandfather were his grand daughter was.

"When he said she was upstairs, I quickly ran upstairs and saw her charred body," he added.

He said Chong, who was unemployed after quitting a job as a sales promoter three months ago, was last seen leaving the house two days ago.

Meanwhile, Ampang Jaya district police chief ACP Abdul Jalil Hassan, when contacted, classified the case as sudden death,.



-- BERNAMA

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