Kluang House Fire: Army Veteran Devastated After Failing To Save Wife, Two Sons

KLUANG, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- An army veteran never expected his return home after going out for a drink with his neighbour to end in tragedy when his wife and two sons were killed in a fire at Taman Titiwangsa here last night.

Khairul Nizam Wahid, 50, said that when the incident occurred at about 10.30 pm, he had just returned home and was shocked to see flames engulfing the sofa in the living room the moment he opened the door.

He said he tried to remove the sofa from the house but was unable to do so as thick smoke began filling the living room, while the fire intensified, causing him difficulty breathing and forcing him to leave the house.

“That was when my wife, who was on the top floor, called me to ask about the noise, and I told her that the ground floor of the house (living room) was on fire.

“I also tried to go back into the house, but the fire had grown bigger, making it difficult for me to do so,” he told reporters when met at the Forensic Department of Enche’ Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital (HEBHK) here today.

Khairul Nizam said the call from his wife was then disconnected, prompting him to shout for help from his neighbours.

“The incident happened so quickly that I myself was at a loss for words,” he said.

His wife, Noraini Ibrahim, 49, and their two sons, Khairul Nurhaziqq, 18, and Khairul Nurhadiff, 11, were killed in the incident.

In an even more heartbreaking discovery, the two brothers were found embracing each other when firefighters conducted a search and rescue operation inside the house.

Khairul Nizam said he and Noraini had previously run a catering business together to support the family and enjoyed a close-knit family life with their three sons, one of whom was not at home when the incident occurred.

He said the loss of his wife and two sons had affected him deeply, especially as the three were very close and spent a lot of time together.

He said among the memories that were hardest to forget was the family’s love of bowling, as well as Noraini’s support for their efforts to expand their catering business and cattle-rearing activities.

“If their lives could be exchanged for mine… I would rather my life be taken instead of theirs. What I will remember most is that a few days before the fire, my wife told me that I had performed the Zohor prayer twice,” he said.

Meanwhile, the remains of the three victims are expected to be laid to rest in the same grave at the Kampung Bentong Dalam Muslim Cemetery here after Asar prayers.

-- BERNAMA