BUTTERWORTH: A fire destroyed six three-storey shoplot units housing a private college on Jalan Perai Jaya here yesterday. Penang Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations, John Sagun Francis, said the department received an emergency call at 5.10pm, prompting a fire engine from the Perai Fire and Rescue Station to be dispatched immediately. "The fire involved six three-storey shoplot units, each with an estimated floor area of 93sq m. It started on the ground floor, which had been reconfigured from six units into a single unit, before spreading to the upper levels. The blaze was brought under control at 6.34pm," he said in a statement last night. The cause of the fire and the total losses are under investigation.

Source: New Strait Times January 01, 2026 00:56 UTC