TAWAU: Residents of several stilt houses in Kampung Sri Aman here have recalled how theuy jumped into the sea to save themselves after their homes and connecting bridges caught fire.
One of the victims, Liny Daurong, 58, during the incident late Saturday (Dec 13), she and her husband were asleep when their son shouted that their house was on fire.
"My son carried his father out of the house because my husband cannot walk or speak. I managed to grab some important documents and followed my son to safety.
"However, I turned back because my son went back inside to try to save other belongings.
"The fire was spreading fast and many houses were burning. It spread quickly and the bridge leading to our house was destroyed.
"When I saw that the bridge had collapsed, I jumped into the sea," she told reporters when met here on Sunday (Dec 14).
Liny said she shouted to her son to throw their belongings into the sea, which was then at chest level.
Liny said she hoped the government would allow residents to rebuild their homes on the original site and provide financial assistance for reconstruction.
Another victim, Janing Jamalang, 57, said she was woken up by her husband who told her to flee. She said she was in a panic and did not manage to save anything, including documents.
She said the situation was chaotic and she managed to place her one-month-old grandchild inside her daughter's clothing before they ran to safety.
"I saw people jumping into the sea and many were already on boats. Flames were raging but I am grateful that my family is safe even though we are only left with the clothes on our backs," she said.
Meanwhile, Tawau Social Welfare Department officer Nurul Fadhilah Abdul Hamid said a temporary evacuation centre has been set up at the Tawau Sports Complex multipurpose hall to accommodate more than 200 victims.
At about 11.30pm on Saturday, 30 stilt houses were destroyed in a fire at Lorong Jade 4, Kampung Sri Aman, Jalan Apas. – Bernama
