KOTA KINABALU: It was a sombre start to Ramadan for villagers in Kampung Cempaka, a water village in Likas, after a massive fire destroyed about 80 houses.
Siti Norsahima Mohd Faizal, 22, said she and her husband had planned to buy necessities for Ramadan.
“I guess we’ll have to postpone that now,” she said while carrying her son, Mohamad Ramadan Mohamad Riduan, who is just 16 days shy of his second birthday, at the Likas Hall relief centre.
He seemed unaware of the chaos around him while his three-year-old brother, Mohd Mierul, slept soundly in the orange tent provided by the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) for disaster victims.
“My husband and I woke up to the heat from the burning house just behind us. That was around 5am. We could hear the commotion outside.
“I quickly grabbed our clothes, mostly the children’s, and took the most important things – our file of documents,” said Siti Norsahima.
When they stepped outside, she said boats were already waiting to ferry victims across the river.
Her uncle and next door neighbour Dani Jainal, 28, suffered cuts on his legs and hands after jumping into the water to escape.
“I’m still in shock, and honestly, I don’t even know how I got these cuts. All I know is that when I reached a safe place, I felt pain,” he said.
Another injured villager, Redzchal Khalil, 33, suffered a deep cut on his foot.
“When the fire broke out, I made sure my wife and three children, aged five, seven and 10, got on a boat. After ensuring they were safe, I ran back to grab a few things, especially our documents and some clothes.
“With the fire closing in, I jumped into the mud, thinking it was shallow. It was thigh-deep and I felt something sharp pierce my leg. I don’t know what it was... maybe a nail or a piece of zinc. I only realised I was bleeding when I reached dry land.”
Redzchal later sought treatment at a mobile clinic set up at the relief centre.
Unlike Siti, Redzchal’s family had already prepared for Ramadan.
“I bought everything on Friday because we thought Ramadan would start on Saturday. We were about 80% ready. But fate had other plans and everything went up in smoke,” he said.
Despite losing nearly everything, one man remained at peace with fate.
Sitting inside his tent, Rosli Hassan still managed to smile, calling his situation a “blessing”.
“Some blessings come in good forms, some in bad. I may have lost my house, but my wife, four children and two grandchildren are safe. That’s what matters.”
The 61-year-old recalled being trapped as the only wooden bridge connecting them to the shore was destroyed in the fire.
“Luckily, I had a boat. I ferried my family and as many others as I could across the river. We watched as our home burned down,” he said.
Having faced hardships before, Rosli knew the importance of keeping essential documents in one place.
“I kept all our documents in a single bag. When the fire broke out, I grabbed it and started evacuating my family. I couldn’t save anything else, just the clothes on my back,” he said.
Rosli, too, had made preparations for Ramadan.
“We not only lost our Ramadan essentials but also our home of 25 years. Still, I pray to Allah and believe something good will come out of this. I accept what has happened with an open heart.”
In the 5.41am blaze on Saturday, a total of 669 people from 139 families were left homeless, but no casualties were reported.
Lintas Fire and Rescue Station chief Agustavia Joe Guasi said the fire was brought under control at 7.32am and fully extinguished by 11.57am.
Apart from the Likas Hall, some displaced residents are also sheltering at the Damai Hall.
