Kemaman: Fifty pupils and teachers faced tense moments when the Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam (Pasti) Raudhatul Athfal here caught fire today. One of the teachers, Nur Amyrah Salihah Mohd Yusoff, said that when the fire broke out at about 10 am, 46 pupils aged between four and six were having breakfast after completing their recitation and prayers session.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the fire at the single-storey premises was first noticed by passers-by, who informed them that the upper section of the building, which housed four classrooms, was filled with thick smoke. Nur Amyrah Salihah explained that she and her three colleagues quickly rushed the children out of the building, witnessing flames engulfing the entire upper section before spreading to other areas.

Nur Amyrah Salihah also mentioned that all books and furniture were destroyed in the fire, and all pupils have been given temporary leave. Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Saariah Hassan reported that 18 firefighters from the Kemaman and Chukai fire stations rushed to the scene after receiving an emergency call at 10.09 am.

Saariah noted that the fire involved a semi-permanent single-storey building, with about 70 per cent destroyed. By the time firefighters arrived, all occupants had been safely evacuated, and the flames were raging. It took firemen 15 minutes to bring the fire under control.