Bomba personnel extinguishing the fire at Mile 7 shoplot in Kuching on Jan 9, 2024.

KUCHING, Jan 9: A 12-year-old boy with special needs was killed in a fire that razed a double-storey shoplot at Mile 7 here today.

Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) assistant director Henderi Ardimansyah said they received a call on the incident at 3.30pm before deploying three teams from the Batu Lintang, Tabuan Jaya, and Kota Samarahan fire stations.

The fire involved six shops, with four suffering severe damage.

“There is also one victim identified as a 12-year-old child with special needs (limited physical movement).

“We found the body of the victim trapped in the living room on the upper level of the shoplot,” he told the media at the scene.

The cause of the fire and estimates of the property losses are still under investigation. — DayakDaily