KOTA KINABALU – Scattered rubbish in the area of Kg Tg Aru Baru is believed to be one of the causes for the rapid spread of the fire that destroyed 23 houses in the water village yesterday.
One of the victims, Midzpar Haibil, 43, said his house was located quite far from an unoccupied house where the fire was believed to have started; however, scattered rubbish caused the fire to spread rapidly and raze his house.
The hotel worker said he heard of the fire from screams outside his rented house.
“I only managed to save some documents and got the children to run out of the house.
“Previously, there was a gotong-royong to clean the rubbish, but it remains there,” he said when met at a relief centre at Luyang Hall here today.
The 4.32am fire, which caused 50 people to be evacuated to the relief centre, is the third fire involving the same village recently.
Housewife Rasidah Haibil, 41, also lost the house she rented for RM750 a month.
“We had to jump from the back door of the house (into the sea), and the sea water was rising at that time,” said the mother of four. – Bernama, July 19, 2021
