A senior lawyer and a office assistant were killed in a fire that broke out at a law firm along King Street yesterday afternoon. The victims were Datuk San Markan Ganapathi, 88 years old, who is a senior member of the Malaysian Bar, and Chandra Binwani Jiwatram, 60 years old.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department, authorities were alerted to the incident around 12:15PM. The fire rapidly spread through the double-storey premises destroying 70 per cent approximately of the unit. Initial reports said that the two individuals were trapped inside the building as the firefighters worked on containing the fire.
Victims Found Inside Premises
Firefighters managed to bring the blaze under control around 1PM, before fully extinguishing it an hour later. The first victim was found at 1.05PM approximately, while the second was found at 3.30PM below a pile of files inside the office.
The deaths were confirmed by authorities with Malkit Singh stating that San Markan, who served as a member of the Penang planning appeals board was among those victims.
Investigations Ongoing
The cause of fire hasn’t been confirmed yet as the authorities are still investigating it. The incident shocked the local legal community, particularly with the loss of veteran lawyer who had been part of this profession. Further updates are expected to be given as the authorities continue to examine the case.
Sources: FMT
