Melaka senior fire officer II (operations) Suhaimi Atan said 20 personnel from the Melaka Tengah and Padang Temu fire and rescue stations were dispatched after the distress call, received at 3.58am.

“Upon arriving at the scene, they found that the house was about 70% consumed by the blaze. All of the victims were on the upper floor.

“One victim managed to get out of the house while four others were rescued. A 59-year-old male victim who was trapped was confirmed dead at the scene by medical officers,” Suhaimi said in a statement today.

He said the five injured victims comprised four men, aged between 50 and 76, and a 38-year-old Chinese citizen woman.

Three vehicles – a Kia Picanto, a Honda Accord car, and a Mercedes Benz van – were also destroyed by the fire.

The fire-fighting operation ended at 6.27am, and the injured victims were sent to Melaka Hospital for treatment, he said.