PUTRA HEIGHTS FIRE: INITIAL AID OF RM5,000, RM2,500 TO BE CHANNELED FROM MONDAY - MB SELANGOR

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- Initial financial assistance of RM5,000 to owners of completely damaged houses and RM2,500 to owners of affected houses as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday, will be distributed starting next Monday.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said that currently, the departments and agencies involved are completing victim data to ensure that the process of delivering the assistance to those affected can be implemented smoothly.

"For that purpose, we will verify the data involved, led by the District Disaster Unit or District Officer in, collaboration with the Social Welfare Department (JKM), ICU (Implementation Coordination Unit), PETRONAS and others.

"JKM and the State Health Department will take responsibility for verifying the data on the number of people who are affected so that there are no issues of parties taking advantage or missing out, especially residents in Taman Harmoni and Kuala Sungai Baru village," he said.

He said this at a press conference after chairing the State Disaster Management Committee Meeting with 39 state and federal government agencies, here today, which was also attended by Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan.

While inspecting the incident location on Tuesday, the Prime Minister announced an immediate assistance of RM5,000 to affected homeowners and RM2,500 to more than 100 homeowners whose homes were partially damaged.

Anwar was reported to have said that the responsibility of restoring the housing area would be taken entirely by the government, along with Petronas and the state government, and discussions on appropriate measures regarding the relocation of the victims before they can return to their respective homes are underway.

The massive fire at 8.10 am on Tuesday saw flames rising high and producing heat and dust that destroyed rows of homes as well as properties including more than 300 vehicles.

-- BERNAMA