JB City Square Car Park Fire Damages 10 Cars, Bomba Says Not EV
Ten cars sustained damage after a fire erupted in the Basement 2 car park of the Johor Bahru City Square shopping centre on Jalan Wong Ah Fook on Tuesday afternoon, October 6. The blaze, which broke out at approximately 3:40 p.m., sent thick black smoke into the city skyline and left three women suffering from smoke inhalation, according to reports from The Star and Newswav.
Senior Operations Commander Suhaimi Jamal stated that eight of the vehicles were between 80% and 90% destroyed, while two others suffered between 20% and 30% damage, according to Newswav. SoyaCincau reported a total of 11 vehicles involved, noting that an additional vehicle sustained about 10% damage.
Emergency services received the distress call at 3:40 p.m., and the Operations Response Team arrived at the scene six minutes later alongside a Fire Rescue Tender and an Emergency Medical Rescue Services vehicle. In total, 40 personnel from the Larkin, Tebrau, and Kempas Fire and Rescue Stations, supported by the Mount Austin Volunteer Fire Department, responded to the incident, as detailed by The Star. SoyaCincau put the total deployment at 52 personnel, including the Ulu Tiram Volunteer Fire Brigade and the mall’s Emergency Response Team.
Firefighters deployed two 300-foot hose lines connected to the building’s internal fire protection system and fire engine pumps to contain the flames. Rescue personnel also conducted a thorough sweep of the parking level to ensure no other individuals remained trapped before concluding the operation at 8:37 p.m.
Three women suffer smoke inhalation injuries
Three women suffered breathing difficulties due to smoke inhalation during the incident. The victims were identified by The Star and Newswav as Haslinda Ngadelan, 48, a 57-year-old Singaporean woman named Tan Lee Huang, and a third victim aged 35 whose name has not been released.
Initial first aid was administered at the scene by emergency responders. Haslinda Ngadelan was subsequently transported to Hospital Sultanah Aminah for further medical treatment.
Investigation into the Fire’s Origin
Initial online speculation suggested an electric vehicle might have caused the fire. However, the Johor Fire and Rescue Department refuted those claims. SoyaCincau reported that preliminary investigations indicate the blaze originated from a 4×4 pickup truck parked between pillars M24 and M25, rather than an EV.
While authorities confirmed the pickup truck as the starting point, the exact cause of the fire and the total financial losses remain under investigation.