Kluang: 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.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, 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 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.

Khairul Nizam recounted that his wife, who was on the top floor, called him to ask about the noise, and he informed her that the ground floor of the house was on fire. He attempted to re-enter the house, but the fire had grown bigger, making it difficult for him to do so. The call from his wife was then disconnected, prompting him to shout for help from his neighbours, describing the incident as happening so quickly that he was at a loss for words.

His wife, Noraini Ibrahim, 49, and their two sons, Khairul Nurhaziqq, 18, and Khairul Nurhadiff, 11, were killed in the incident. In a heartbreaking discovery, the two brothers were found embracing each other when firefighters conducted a search and rescue operation inside the house.

Khairul Nizam shared that 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 expressed that 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. 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.

He expressed a poignant wish, stating that if their lives could be exchanged for his, he would rather his life be taken instead of theirs. He also recalled a memorable moment a few days before the fire when his wife told him that he had performed the Zohor prayer twice.

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.