Indian fire victim in Malaysia wanted to make more money for sister's wedding

Johor Baru, Mar 18 (ANI): Indian worker S. Sarathi, who died in a fire with three others last week in Malaysia, planned to return home to his village at the end of the month for his younger sister's wedding.

On March 10, four Indian nationals who worked in the shop were killed in the early morning fire, which also razed five double-storey shoplots in Masai here.

A relative of Sarathi, A. Barathi, who works at the Pasir Gudang port, said the 29-year-old was also preparing for his own engagement as his parents had found him a bride.

"He was working in Malaysia to save enough money for his and his sister's wedding," Barathi said, adding that he had met the victim several days before the March 10 fire.

Asked if his relatives had any grouses against the employer at the tailor's shop where he worked, Barathi said Sarathi never complained, as he wanted to make as much money as he could to take back to India.

Initial investigations by the Fire and Rescue Department pointed to arson as the shops had been doused with petrol, The Star reports.

The four, believed to have overstayed in the country by up to several years, were identified as Sarathi, V. Pugalendran, 41, Malik Basha Mohamed Iqbal, 25, and G. Ganesan, 32.

Their remains were sent back to India on Tuesday. (ANI)