KOTA KINABALU – Residents of the idyllic water village of Kg Tanjung Aru Baru were shaken by a thunderous explosion this morning before a massive fire began spreading, engulfing some 23 houses in the coastal settlement here.
It is the third fire tragedy to hit the village this year.
Unemployed resident Sani Sedong, 24, said he was playing games on his mobile phone and had his headphones on when he was jolted by the blast, which happened at about 4.30am.
“I immediately peered out the window from my room and saw the fire engulfing my neighbour’s home.
“I was startled by the explosion. When I looked out, most of the (neighbour’s) house was already aflame and a thick white smoke had entered my house,” said Sani, who was a construction worker before the pandemic rendered him jobless.
He said that he immediately shouted for help and woke his mother.
Sani then ran out for safety with his mother in tow. They were not able to salvage anything from the house, including important documents, in the haste to save themselves.
“The whole family is in distress and we had been hoping to get food aid,” he said.
“We were not able to work due to the lockdown. We have lost everything now, not just our homes but also all our belongings, including our clothes,” he added.
A neighbour, Juldin Jun, 18, also an unemployed construction worker, said he was awakened by the sound of the explosion.
He said that he and his family, including both his parents and nine siblings, were lucky to be able to rush out of their house to safety in time.
“The fire was drawing closer to our house and on our way out, we also saw two cars getting burnt just a few metres from their house in flames,” said Juldin, who was grateful they were all safe.
The Fire and Rescue Department said 23 houses and several vehicles parked near the area were totally destroyed in the early morning fire.
They said they received a distress call at 4.30am this morning and the Penampang fire station deployed a team of 36 firemen to the scene.
The fire came under control around 5.50am and work on dousing the fire was completed by 8am. No casualties were reported.
On May 25, a fire in the same village gutted 33 houses and a second fire on July 6 saw 34 families losing their homes. – The Vibes, July 18, 2021
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