Investigation Into Cause Of Selangor Wholesale Market Fire Begins Monday

KUALA LUMPUR: The investigation to identify the cause of the fire at the Selangor Wholesale Market, Seri Kembangan, near here, will only commence this Monday.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division Assistant Director, Ashrul Riezal Ashbar, said the site was handed over to the Selangor JBPM Fire Investigation Division yesterday afternoon.

He said an initial assessment by investigating officers together with the JBPM K9 Unit was also initiated yesterday afternoon.

“However, the K9 Unit dogs could not enter the hot spot area because conditions within the fire scene were still hot and steaming.

“Therefore, the Fire Investigation Division will begin the investigation this Monday,” he said in a statement today.

When asked about the possibility of malicious intent or negligence that could be linked to the cause of the fire, Ashrul said it is still under investigation.

“So far, it is still under investigation,” he said.

Yesterday, BH reported that two JBPM sniffer dogs, Rusty and Sam, were deployed to the fire location to assist in forensic investigations to identify the cause of the fire.

The two trained dogs, of the Cocker Spaniel and Springer Spaniel breeds, then began their search amidst the debris and fire remnants to help identify the cause of the fire, wearing special safety boots.

The fire involved Block B4 of the wholesale market, which is a Class B building measuring 100 feet by 100 feet, housing three premises, namely a shop selling catering hardware and kitchenware, an egg-selling shop, and a hardware shop.

The fire destroyed about 90 percent of the premises and was successfully extinguished at 6.35 am yesterday after an overnight firefighting operation.

Debris removal work was then carried out with the assistance of an excavator to facilitate the investigation and final extinguishing work.

The work was completed at 5 pm yesterday, with inspections finding no casualties and no further sources of fire spread at the location.

The site was then handed over to the Selangor JBPM Fire Investigation Division before operations were fully terminated at 6 pm.

Berita Harian