LAST UPDATE: 12.36am, 23rd August 2008: new photos added

Servay Hypermarket at Bandar Penampang Baru, Mile 5, Jalan Penampang, 88822 Penampang is probably the biggest supermarket (78,000 sq ft) in the district of Penampang and one of the biggest of the 11 Servay/Parkwell branches.

It was built in September 1997, hence it’s already entrenched as the shopping spot for many Penampangites and surrounding areas. Apart from the supermarket, it features a departmental Store, an IT Department, a restaurant/cafe, food stall, and areas for telecommunication, music, bakery, pharmacy and an Alliance Bank ATM.

The following are 3 photos of the same corner:

BEFORE FIRE

DURING FIRE

Poignant: this is a still off linggaman’s video showing Servay’s main entrance and an ice cream kiosk on the right as the fire was raging. It is one of the last images ever taken of the hypermarket at this angle:

As can be seen below, the ice cream kiosk is still there but everything else has collapsed.

AFTER FIRE

Exact location is shown at wikimapia.

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Updates:

21st August 2008

6.30pm (est):

I visited the site and was greeted with acrid smoke and a scene of devastation. Most the photos here were taken by me, except specified.

View of left corner. Shaded pick-up area can be seen on right:

View of the back left, which is the only part still standing:

The loading bay is located at the part still standing. The door’s open, peering through it will reveal the carnage inside (pic taken by Richard L, via Joyce T):

View of right corner relative to the other blocks:

The shaded pick-up area now looks positively ghostly, what more with the wreckage in the background:

View of the right side relative to the other blocks:

View of the right corner at the back (pic taken by Richard L, via Joyce T):

View of the left corner at the back (pic taken by Richard L, via Joyce T):

3.49pm:

A member of the local media informed that:
- total loss estimated at RM30 million
- fire was caused by a short circuit
- Servay workers are mostly locals from the interior

11am:

ragequeen posted a video of the scene, apparently taken at 2.30am on the 21st. There’s an eerie silence, broken only by her running commentary, which starts with the words: “this is after the fire broke down…”

9am:

linggaman has posted what I think is the best amateur video of the fire in progress. He first took the video from a hill, then went closer to take videos from close range, from various angles. There are even some “interviews”:

Early morning:

Daily Express reported that:
- the building was destroyed within 3 hours. Around 11pm, most of the upper floor had collapsed.
- fire is believed to have started at a storeroom on the first floor
- one fireman hurt
- there were 500 shoppers and staff when fire started at 7.20pm on the 20th
- distress call received by Fire Department at 7.38pm
- there were 60 fire and rescue personnel in 8 fire trucks from the Sembulan, Lintas and Penampang stations were at the scene after receiving a distress call at around 7.38pm.
- there were 30 police personnel
- close to 1,000 people watched the flames

20th August 2008

10.20pm:

Apparently the fire started around 7:30pm, at the 2nd floor’s store room which is located behind the building and above the stationery department.

9.30pm (est):

ragequeen put up 2 videos, as they were driving past on the main road, apparently of the fire when it’s already at its worst:

8.30pm (est):

edwar74 put up a video, apparently of the fire before it became totally uncontrollable:

Apparently the fire started at dusk.

8.24pm: Got an SMS about this. The “auspicious date” of “20082008″ definitely won’t be for the owners. Further details should unfold soon enough.

8.15pm: A photo of the building’s back right taken at this time (pic taken by Richard L, via Joyce T):

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