Penang fire and rescue department operations commander Rafizi Arafpin said a distress call was received at 6.40pm, and a fire engine from the Bagan Jermal fire and rescue station was first to the scene.

“The fire was brought under control within 20 minutes and fully extinguished about half an hour later. The fire department then conducted overhaul work to ensure there were no further hazards,” he said when contacted this evening.

Rafizi said investigations are under way to determine the cause of the fire and the total damage.

He said the firefighting operation involved 100 firefighters from the Bagan Jermal and Paya Terubong fire and rescue stations and the Paya Terubong, Sri Tanjong, Balik Pulau, Bukit Bendera, and Mount Erskine volunteer fire brigades.

Meanwhile, Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, when contacted, said her team would determine emergency assistance, including temporary housing, for the victims, adding that four families have been relocated to the people’s housing project in Macallum, and another family to Padang Tembak.