An overturned charcoal stove was presumed to have caused the -fire at a drying and bleaching factory at 252 Tong Moo Li off Penang Road at 2.12 am, yesterday, when a Chinese employee of the concern was burned to death, The fire was reported to the Ichang Road station and within a few minutes two engines arrived on the scene. The flames were placed under control within quarter of an hour and the firemen paid attention to the neighbouring houses, occupied by a weaving mill and a metal polish factory. The latter. at 254, was damaged, the roof being destroyed.
The house in which fire broke out was used by a Chinese company to dry bleached linen. For this purpose many charcoal stoves were used and a man was employed to look after them, Yesterday, it appears, the man was asleep when the flames broke out. His charred body was found in the debris after the flames had been extinguished.
Although the blaze was under control within quarter of an hour after the firemen's appearance, the engines Gid not return to the station until 3.50 am. By that time, the flames were completely put out.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.