KUALA LUMPUR – The building in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, where the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) used to operate, has been consumed by flames for the second time since February 2018.
According to a statement from the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department’s operations centre, a distress call on the incident was received at 10.37am today, following which firefighters from several stations were dispatched to the scene.
“The fire involved the fourth and fifth floors of the EPF building. It was successfully controlled by the department at 11.08am,” the statement on an initial assessment of the situation said.
It also said that no casualties were involved in the incident at the six-storey structure built in the 1960s.
Social media users had also posted online videos of the fire. The videos depicted thick plumes of smoke and fierce fires razing a significant section of the building, which is next to the Federal Highway.
EPF at Gasing on fire again pic.twitter.com/Bq3Pmvw93l
— Bamba ? (@bambaking) May 22, 2023
In 2018, EPF shifted its operations to PJX-HM Shah Tower after the building it occupied for 35 years was engulfed by fire in February that year.
In a subsequent statement, EPF confirmed the incident and said it will be investigating the cause of the fire.
“The building is currently empty and unoccupied. No injuries have been reported at this time,” it said, noting that additional details on the matter will be provided at a later time. – The Vibes, May 22, 2023