KLANG - A factory worker, in a daring act, threw caution to the wind and rushed into a burning house to whisk a toddler to safety in the nick of time.

R. Revathy, 21, risked her life to enter the burning house in Ladang Sungai Puloh here when the toddler's grandmother was afraid to go in.

The toddler, J. Kavina, 2, was asleep in a room upstairs when the fire started around noon. Revathy was on leave from work when she saw Kavina's grandmother rush out of the burning house, screaming that her granddaughter was still upstairs. This prompted her to rush into the burning house and pluck the child to safety.

"The girl was a bit heavy but somehow I managed to carry her out from her bed and ran from the house before the flames spread further," she told reporters at the scene. The house was part of a six-unit double-storey longhouse which was destroyed in the blaze.

Another victim, M.Kasturi, 34, said most of the residents were away at work when the fire occurred.

"My mother and son rushed out of the house as the fire spread quickly, leaving them no chance to save any belongings.

"I believe we lost almost RM20,000 (S$8,200) worth of household items in the fire.

"We were lucky as one of the neighbours managed to move our car parked outside the house and, thankfully, no one was hurt."

Sungai Pinang Fire and Rescue station chief Isa Bakar said the department received a call at 12.08pm and a unit from the station and another from Bukit Raja station were sent to the scene, arriving seven minutes later.

"We managed to control the fire from spreading to other houses located two metres away."

Isa said the cause of the fire had yet to be determined and investigations were ongoing. He estimated losses of up to RM120,000.

Kapar member of parliament S. Manikavasagam, who visited the victims, extended his condolences to the victims' families and said they would be given aid to rebuild their houses.

In the meantime, temporary shelter would be provided for the victims in a nearby area.