KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 8 -- A fire destroyed most of a squatter settlement and gutted a row of shop lots, including a Mydin Mart, near the Pantai Dalam KTM station last night.

The city's Fire and Rescue Department said the blaze began around 11.11pm and quickly spread across wooden structures before reaching nearby commercial units.

Operations commander Senior Assistant Fire Superintendent Mohd Khairul Anuar said four fire stations responded, deploying 36 firefighters with multiple trucks and support vehicles.

Fourteen squatter homes were affected, with 80 per cent of the area reduced to charred remains.

The fire then spread to four shops, where three units and the upper floor of Mydin Mart were badly damaged.

Despite the scale of destru...