SANDAKAN – About 90 houses in Kg Cenderamata, Batu Sapi, a squatter settlement were razed by fire at about 3am today, leaving hundreds of villagers homeless.
According to Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department chief Jasri Ab Jal, firemen reached the scene at about 3.24am, the fire was controlled at about 4.53am, and the operation ended at 7.48am.
“We have successfully stopped the fire from destroying more houses,” he said when met by reporters at the scene here today.
He said firemen faced obstacles such as the houses being built too close to one another, increasing the spread of the fire.
The firemen also had to rely on their water tank and could not source water from the sea due to low tide.
No casualties were reported from the incident, with the victims having been relocated to the Batu Sapi People’s Housing Programme flat. – The Vibes, March 6, 2023