IPOH: An eatery owner lost two of his young children following a fire at a three-storey shophouse in Seri Iskandar, about 35km from here.

       The victims, identified as Muhammad Fahmi Mohd Fazlan Nizam, four, and his seven-month-old baby sister Nor Fahmia, were trapped on the first floor during the 5am incident yesterday.

       Firemen managed to get the victims out of the building and rushed them to the Changkat Melintang Hospital.

       However, they where pronounced dead by a medical officer.

       Perak Tengah OCPD Supt Barudin Wariso said both victims did not suffer from burns.

       “The post-mortem results indicated that both children died of smoke inhalation,” he said in a statement.

       Supt Barudin said the fire had broken out on the first floor of the building, which had been turned into workers’ accommodation.

       He added that the eatery was located on the ground while the top floor was empty.

       “The victims’ parents were having sahur (the dawn meal) with several workers on the ground floor during the incident.

       “The first floor was badly damaged during the fire,” he said, adding that the fire was put out within 25 minutes.