KUANTAN: At least 48 houses and eight shops were destroyed in a fire at Kampung Baru Cina Karak, Bentong.

       However, there were no reports of casualties in the fire which broke out at 9.10pm on Friday, said Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director Wan Mohammad Zaidi Wan Isa.

       He said the department received a distress call at 9.20pm, after which 52 firemen in 10 engines rushed to the scene.

       The close position of the houses to one another is believed to have caused the fire to spread quickly, he said when contacted by Bernama, adding that firemen managed to control the fire at about 12.10am yesterday.

       He said the department was currently investigating the cause of the fire and losses incurred.

       Meanwhile in Johor Baru, firemen took almost 10 hours to put out a fire which gutted two factories in Jalan Masai Lama, Pasir Gudang on Friday night.

       Johor Fire and Rescue Department Senior Fire Supt I Mohd Tilmizi Mustapha said the department was alerted of the incident at 9.18pm and a team of firefighters from the Pasir Gudang, Tebrau and Johor Jaya fire stations rushed to the wax and mineral water processing factories.

       “On arrival at the scene, firemen found 80% of the factory lots, each measuring 21m x 61m, on fire.

       “The operation was focused on controlling the fire from spreading to adjacent factories.

       “We also carried out relay pumping from two fire engines using the nearby fire hydrants and a water tanker,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       The fire was brought under control at 7am, and work to control the fire from spreading was still on-going, he said.