PENANG'S Fire and Rescue Department has responded to three separate incidents involving the discovery of deceased individuals in locked premises, including two elderly men found dead in their homes and a man in a parked vehicle.
In the latest case, 72-year-old Chew Sze Sun was found dead in his locked flat at the Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) on Jalan Sungai Pinang in George Town late last night. The deceased was located in a bedroom of his unit on the 18th floor.
John Sagun Francis, assistant director of operations at the Penang Fire and Rescue Department, said his team was alerted to the incident at 12.45am.
"Firefighters carried out a ‘size-up’ of the scene before using specialised tools to unlock the door," he said in a statement.
Chew was found unresponsive and later confirmed dead at the scene by Ministry of Health personnel. The case has since been referred to the police.
This incident follows a similar case the previous night in which another elderly man was discovered dead in the locked living room of a home in Hong Seng Estate, Mount Erskine, Tanjung Tokong. The emergency call was received at 11.58pm.
In a separate and unrelated case in Tasek Gelugor, a 34-year-old man was found dead inside a locked Mazda CX-5 behind a row of shoplots in Taman Ara Mutiara.
"The vehicle engine was still running when firefighters arrived. The man was found unconscious in the driver’s seat," John Sagun said.
Firefighters were called to the scene at 8.50pm and managed to unlock the vehicle using special equipment, but the victim was pronounced dead by attending medical personnel.
That operation concluded at 9.35pm, and the case has been handed over to the police for further investigation. - July 17, 2025
