KOTA KINABALU: Amid the outpouring of sympathy for fire victims who lost homes and belongings, the heartbreak of those mourning pets lost to the flames is often overlooked.
A fire on Wednesday at Kampung Batu Putih Jambatan 3, Sandakan, destroyed 24 homes and displaced 172 folk.
For some, the losses cut deeper than just possessions.
Rahmawati Toba, a shop assistant, was at work when she got a call from neighbours telling her that there was a fire.
She rushed back, worried about her three cats. Unfortunately, the road to her house was already blocked off.
“I could not save them ... all three of my cats were trapped inside my house which was completely destroyed,” she said in between sobs as she related her ordeal yesterday.
The district committee declared the incident a local disaster.
For fisherman Ransun Abdullah, 41, the fire came terrifyingly close to engulfing his home.
“About 10% of my house was burned ... just the walls closest to the flames.
“Everyone came to help. They poured water to prevent the fire from spreading,” he said.
A child and an elderly person suffered minor burns to their hands but are in stable condition.
