KUALA LUMPUR – A quiet village in Pahang was struck by tragedy in the early hours of Thursday when a fierce fire tore through a residential home in Kampung Pamah Kulat, Ulu Dong, claiming the lives of five family members who were trapped inside.
The Raub District Police have officially identified the deceased as a couple and three of their young children. The victims are Mohd Awi Muhammad, 56, and his wife, Zaleha Adam @ Ibrahim, 44. Their three daughters who perished alongside them were identified as Ruby Adira Batrisya, 17; Ruby Adlina Banin, 14; and the youngest, Ruby Azyan Barizah, aged 10.
Raub District Police Chief, Supt Mohd Shahril Abdul Rahman, confirmed that the family of seven was not all present during the inferno. Two other children—Ruby Adalia Balqis, 19, a student at Gambang Matriculation College, and Ahmad Balia Murqam, 15, who attends Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dong—were away staying at their respective school and college dormitories. Their absence from the family home during the mid-term break period ultimately spared their lives, though they now face the unthinkable loss of their parents and siblings.
According to the Pahang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), the emergency operations center received a distress call regarding the fire at approximately 4:15 AM. Firefighting teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, arriving to find the wooden-structured portion of the house already fully engulfed in flames.
Pahang JBPM Director, Datuk Mohd Razam Taja Rahim, stated that personnel worked localized containment strategies and managed to bring the blaze under control by 4:48 AM. However, the speed at which the fire spread left the occupants with little time to escape. Aside from the total destruction of the house, the heat and flames also decimated three automobiles and three motorcycles parked in the immediate vicinity.
“The forensic team is currently scouring the debris to determine the exact flashpoint and the cause of the ignition,” Supt Mohd Shahril told reporters today. He added that the bodies of the five victims have been transported to the hospital for post-mortem examinations and formal identification procedures.
As investigators remain on-site to assess the total financial loss and search for clues, the local community has begun gathering to offer support to the surviving children. Authorities have urged the public to refrain from speculating on the cause of the incident until the Fire and Rescue Department completes its full forensic report.
