KOTA BELUD: What began as a quiet Saturday (Feb 21) morning on the third day of Ramadan turned into heartbreak for 10 families in Kampung Melangkap Kapa when a fire tore through their homes, leaving them with little but the clothes they were wearing.
The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department said it received an emergency call at 10.57am before a team from the Kota Belud Fire and Rescue Station was dispatched to the village, located about 36km away.
Operations commander PBK I Suffian Aban said the blaze involved 14 semi-permanent houses.
“Ten houses were burnt down entirely, while four others suffered about 10% structural damage,” he said in a statement.
Firefighters battled the flames using a 100m hose line with two water jets and a portable pump, drawing water from a nearby river.
However, fire engines were unable to enter the area due to narrow access roads and an unstable bridge. The fire was brought under control at 12.21pm, with no casualties reported.
Overhaul works were carried out to prevent reignition, and the operation ended fully at 3.15pm.
Following the incident, Kadamaian assemblyman Datuk Ewon Benedick visited the affected families and handed over immediate assistance through the village development and security committee.
Ewon, who is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister III and state Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transport Minister, said his service centre would continue providing urgent necessities at the temporary relief centre, including transport assistance for evacuees.
“I have instructed my service centre and the Kadamaian Community Development Leader Unit to respond quickly whenever disasters occur, even when I am away on official duties,” he said.
Expressing sympathy to the victims, Ewon said he would also help facilitate eligible government assistance for the families.
The Kota Belud district officer has since declared the incident a disaster, allowing all affected families to be relocated to the temporary relief centre in Melangkap.
