Kuala Lumpur, May 28: The fire that destroyed the buggy hut at Titiwangsa PDRM Golf Club on Monday is believed to have been caused by the explosion of an electric buggy that was being charged at the time of the incident.
The 9.00pm blaze razed the club’s entire fleet of 36 buggies as well as the buggy battery charger and spare parts, valued at close to RM500,000. Also permanently damaged was the club’s store room containing greenkeeping and course maintenance equipment as well as the stock and barrel of the club’s driving range operator.
The family of a member of the club’s staff, who were residing on the first floor of the pre-war building, managed to escape unscathed after being alerted by onlookers.
“Early investigation by the Fire & Rescue Department’s forensic unit have indicated that the fire began from an explosion of the battery of buggy no.2, which was left to charge that evening, as the damage around that particular buggy was particularly profound. This concurs with the account by eyewitnesses,” said a club official, who refused to be identified.
Club member Azmi Mahmud was at the driving range when the fire broke out and alerted the Fire & Rescue Department immediately. “My friends and I were practising for the upcoming club championship (on Sunday) went we heard a loud explosion. At first, we thought the sound came from somewhere else but when we heard screams of “Api! (fire) Api!” coming from members at the clubhouse, I quickly dashed out to see that the buggy hut was on fire.
“The blaze spread quickly and the fumes emitting from the burning tires were quite noxious, so we were unable to salvage any of the buggies. Luckily, we managed to alert the residents staying on the first floor (of the buggy hut), who managed to jump out of the building in time,” he said.
“It took six fire trucks almost three hours to put down the flames,” noted Azmi, who shared that the club’s members will soon convene a meeting to discuss on the acquisition of new buggies after claims adjusters have inspected the burned property and completed their investigation on the club’s insurance claim.
