Fire Destroys Home, Turning Family's Deepavali Joy To Heartbreak

PORT DICKSON, Oct 19 (Bernama) --  A family's Deepavali joy has turned to sorrow after their home on Jalan Mayung was destroyed in a fire on Friday, just days before the festival.

The third of five siblings, R Gobinath, 25, said the blaze occurred around 11.00 pm while he was at work in Bandar Enstek, Nilai, and no one was home. 

He explained that he lived in the house with three siblings and their parents, while another older brother resides in Johor Bahru.

"My family was in Cyberjaya at the time. A neighbour called around 12.30 am informing me our house was on fire and the roof had collapsed.

"By the time I arrived, everything was destroyed. We are utterly heartbroken. We had only moved here two years ago, and this would have been our second Deepavali celebrated here," he told reporters.

Gobinath said his family has suffered nearly RM10,000 in losses and is now staying in a rented house near their former home.

He added that they had made more extensive preparations for this Deepavali, compared to the last one, including renovating the kitchen and purchasing several new electrical appliances.

"Even our new Deepavali clothes were ruined. A new TV cabinet, bought just two days before the fire, was also destroyed," he said.

The family's plight drew the attention of Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun, who came forward to provide financial assistance to the father, M Rajan.

The Port Dickson member of parliament expressed his sympathy for the family and hoped they would be granted the strength to endure this ordeal.

"I also call on the local community to continue showing their concern and spirit of togetherness by supporting this family," he said in a Facebook post. 

-- BERNAMA