KUALA LUMPUR: A goldsmith risked his life, running into thick plumes of smoke to save the jewellery on display in his shop from being destroyed in the fire that partially destroyed the Dato Keramat Market here.

       Nik Arif Nik Azmi said he was alerted about the fire at around 1.15am and rushed to the scene.

       "I saw the flames when I reached and ran to my shop to save the jewellery there.

       "I am thankful that we managed to take out all the jewellery there which is estimated to be worth millions of ringgit," he said when met at the scene on Saturday (June 11) morning.

       He said the fire caused at least RM100,000 in damage to three of his shoplots there.

       "I believe the fire originated from a clothes shop in front of my shoplots before spreading to five other shops and a nearby house.

       Meanwhile, Mohd Shahril, 39, said he was asleep when he heard an explosion.

       "At first I assumed it was just kids playing with fireworks but then my mother started screaming.

       "I ran out of the bedroom and saw the shoplot on fire about 10m away from my house," he said, adding that he quickly grabbed all the valuables and documents he could find and left the house with his mother.

       He said the fire damaged his house structure, some electrical appliances as well as a sewing machine.