The
fire
brigade
swiftly
responded
to
the
scene
and
managed
to
contain
the
blaze.
When
the
CITE
news
team
arrived
at
the
complex,
business
owners
were
being
instructed
to
gather
their
belongings
and
close
up
for
the
day
as
the
fault
was
being
addressed.
Sources
within
the
complex
indicated
that
the
fire
originated
at
Shop
5L
on
the
ground
floor,
starting
in
the
ceiling
as
a
result
of
an
electrical
fault.
“The
fire
was
spreading
through
the
ceiling
and
slowly
advancing
towards
the
first
floor,
but
it
was
extinguished
before
it
could
reach
other
shops,”
they
said.
Several
shop
owners,
who
spoke
anonymously,
expressed
concerns
about
the
state
of
the
building’s
wiring,
saying
it
is
outdated
and
in
need
of
replacement.
“We
are
worried
about
the
safety
of
our
merchandise.
We
hope
the
issue
will
be
thoroughly
addressed
today,
identifying
the
root
cause
and
finding
a
lasting
solution
to
prevent
such
incidents
in
the
future,”
said
one
shop
owner.
A
witness
who
was
inside
the
building
when
the
fire
started
recounted,
“There
were
flames
in
the
ceiling
on
the
ground
floor,
and
we
saw
smoke
rising
to
the
first
floor.
We
were
quickly
told
to
evacuate
the
building.
It
was
a
frightening
experience,
but
we
are
relieved
that
it
was
brought
under
control
in
time.”
Business
owners
at
the
complex
are
eager
for
the
building
to
reopen
as
promised,
fearing
potential
revenue
loss.
“We’re
concerned
about
our
stock.
We
want
to
remove
it
from
the
premises
just
in
case
the
complex
remains
closed
for
an
extended
period.
Our
livelihood
depends
on
this
business,”
they
said.
One
businessperson
added,
“This
issue
needs
to
be
resolved
quickly.
The
building
owner
has
the
resources—after
all,
we
just
paid
rent
recently
and
didn’t
expect
this
to
happen.
Everyone
here
pays
on
time,
and
if
we’re
even
a
little
late,
they
lock
us
out.
We
hope
the
repairs
will
be
completed
by
the
end
of
the
day
so
that
we
can
resume
work
tomorrow.”