KOTA KINABALU: A 40-year-old man sustained body burns after running through his burning home to escape a fire at Kampung Tabanak in Lahad Datu on Wednesday (Sept 23).
The homeowner was doing household chores when he smelt smoke and heard neighbours shouting warnings.
Unable to salvage any personal documents, he suffered burns as he fled the engulfed wooden structure.
Lahad Datu Fire and Rescue Station chief Sumsoa Rashid said a distress call was received at 10.32am, with fire engines arriving six minutes later.
“The house was already fully engulfed in flames upon our arrival. Our priority was preventing the fire from spreading to neighboring homes while bringing the blaze under control,” Sumsoa said, adding that the fire was contained by 12.09pm.
Neighbors transported the injured victim to a local hospital before firefighters arrived on site.
The operation concluded at 12.20pm with no other casualties reported. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire and estimating total damages.
