Running a food stall comes with its fair share of challenges, but for one churros vendor in Melaka, the unexpected took a dramatic turn.
What was supposed to be just another evening at the Semabok Perdana Ramadan Bazaar turned into a nightmare when their cooking pan suddenly burst into flames.
The incident, which happened around 5 PM on Wednesday dated 12 March, was caught on camera and later shared on TikTok via the account @adictochurrosmelaka.
The video shows the stall engulfed in flames, leaving behind extensive damage.
“It all happened so fast”
Speaking to WeirdKaya, the vendor recalled the terrifying moment, sharing that they had been live-streaming on TikTok while preparing to fry churros.
“Our staff was heating up the oil, waiting for it to reach the right temperature for frying. At the same time, we were already live on TikTok,” they said.
At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The vendor mentioned that there were no visible issues with the pan before the fire broke out. However, they later realised that heavy rain had caused water to pool on their tent.
There was nothing unusual about the pan. The real cause of the fire was the heavy rain. Water had collected on our tent, and suddenly, it couldn’t hold the weight anymore. The tent started leaking, and the water fell directly onto the hot oil, causing the fire.”
No time to save anything
With the fire spreading rapidly, the vendor and their team had no time to salvage anything from the stall.
“We really didn’t have time to save anything. Whatever the flames caught, it all burned,” they explained.
Aside from losing equipment, the biggest setback was not being able to continue business for the day.
The biggest loss was that we couldn’t continue selling that day because of the heavy rain, the burned tent, and everything else that was damaged.”
Not giving up
Despite the frightening ordeal, the vendor remains determined to keep their business going.
“We’ve been running our stall for a long time, and this incident won’t break our spirit. We’ll definitely continue, but we’ll be more careful and alert from now on.”
The video of the fire quickly gained attention online, with many expressing sympathy and offering support. However, not all reactions were positive.
“Alhamdulillah, many customers supported and prayed for us, but there were also people criticising us on TikTok without knowing the real story. But this is fate, no one can change what has already been written.”
A message to their supporters
Through it all, the vendor remains grateful for their loyal customers and supporters.
“Never regret supporting Adicto Churros because this is our very own Bumiputera product. We wouldn’t be where we are without all of you. Thank you to everyone who has stood by us and prayed for us for almost three years under the name Adicto Churros.”
Watch the clip here:
