Woman burnt to death after car crashes into wooden house in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: A woman died after the car she was in caught fire after it crashed into an unoccupied house that was also razed in Sabah's east coast Sandakan district.

The charred remains of the woman, who has yet to be positively identified, were found trapped inside the car by firemen responding to a distress call at 4.20am Friday (Feb 2). She is believed to be in her 30s.

A state Fire and Rescue Services Department spokesman here said another occupant in the car identified as Karthigaaiyan Rajalingam, 30, managed to escape from the vehicle following the accident that occurred at Labuk Road close to Wisma Yung Chong in Sandakan.

"The car is believed to have skidded off the road and swerved into the unoccupied wooden house before it went up in flames, burning down the house as well," the spokesman said.

The fire was put out at 5.05am while police are investigating the accident.

In an unrelated case in Kota Kinabalu, a 16-year-old school girl was killed after she was thrown out from her car in a three-vehicle collision at the Jalan Tuaran by-pass in Inanam here at about 5pm Thursday (Feb 1).

Kota Kinabalu police chief Asst Comm M.Chandra said the deceased was sitting in the front passenger seat of the car driven by a 16-year-old girl.

The driver of the car with five other passengers, all aged 16, were not injured in the accident. The driver of another vehicle was slightly injured on his legs and received treatment at the hospital.

ACP Chandra, who did not identify the deceased, said police urged witnesses to come forward to assist in the investigations.