Timur Laut deputy police chief Lee Swee Sake said the building was being renovated ahead of its planned conversion into a restaurant.

“It is believed that the victim was an employee of the contractor carrying out the renovation. The investigation is still ongoing,” he said in a statement.

The body of the victim was found on the ground floor near the front entrance.

Lee also said media reports identifying the deceased as a nightclub worker were false, as the club ceased operations in the premises months ago. The case is being investigated as a sudden death.

Meanwhile, the Penang fire and rescue department said several evidence samples were collected from the scene, including those taken near where the victim’s body was found, Bernama reported.

State director Shoki Hamzah said the samples would be sent to the fire investigation laboratory for analysis, with results expected in about 14 days.

“Based on preliminary investigations, the fire is believed to have originated in the middle section of the ground floor. Both the front and rear entrances were found locked during the incident,” he was quoted as saying.

According to Shoki, about 70% of the building was destroyed, while the losses, ignition source and cause of the fire remain under investigation, with the K9 Detection Unit assisting investigators.