KOTA KINABALU: An elderly couple and a blind woman were killed in two separate fires in the Kudat and Semporna districts.
In the first incident, the charred remains of the elderly couple, aged 73 and 74, were found inside their room when firefighters swept through the ruins of the burnt-down house at Kampung Lausan Batu 4, Kudat, at around 1am on Saturday (Jan 24).
The fire, believed to have started over an hour earlier, destroyed the two-storey wooden village home, and the victims were thought to have been trapped while sleeping.
Kudat Fire Station chief Darikson Galanang said a team of 10 firefighters, along with eight volunteer firefighters, was sent to respond after a distress call at around 11.58pm on Friday (Jan 23).
“Our men and machinery had difficulty reaching the scene because they had to pass through a small bridge while low- lying wire cables were blocking the way,” he said in a statement.
He said firefighters managed to bring the fire under control at around 1.30am on Saturday, and the charred remains of the two victims were brought out and handed over to the police at around 2am.
“Operations on site ended at 4. 47am,” said Darikson.
In the second blaze, firefighters found the charred remains of a 58-year-old blind woman, identified as Munairaya Baluan, in one of the seven burning squatter homes at Kg Perigi, Semporna.
Semporna Fire Station chief Rastam Keladi said that, when firefighters arrived at the scene at around 11.16am on Saturday, seven squatter homes were engulfed in flames.
“Our personnel used two water hoses from two sources to put out the fire,” he said, adding that the seven houses were destroyed following the incident.
He said the victim's body was discovered in a room in one of the houses and was handed over to the police for further action.
Rastam said firefighters brought the flames under control at around 11.57am and wrapped up their operations at the scene at 2.05pm.
He said, adding that the cause of both fires is being investigated.
