Couple burnt to death, 7 hurt in blaze

 

Some 40 squatter houses were razed in the fire in Kampung Sungai Buaya, Tawau. (Fire department pic)

TAWAU: A couple was found charred while seven others suffered burns in a fire which razed about 40 squatter houses in Kampung Sungai Buaya, Jalan Tawau Lama here, just after midnight.

The bodies of Saiful Rosli, 32, and Jumaidah M Jida, 36, were found by firemen early this morning after the blaze was extinguished at 6.20am today.

Tawau fire station chief Julius John Stephen Jr said they received a call on the incident at 12.25am and 25 firefighters and two fire engines were sent to the location.

“In the incident, a victim, Mutalib Suma, 45, suffered 86% burns while a 26-year-old man and an 18-year-old girl had 17% burns.

“Apart from that, three girls and a boy aged between six and 12 had burns. All victims were brought to Tawau Hospital for treatment,” he told reporters.

He said the cause of the fire and estimated cost of the losses were still being investigated.

Fire victim Mala Tipung, 46, cried when she found her house, which had been left vacant for a week, burnt to the ground.

“I went to my husband’s workplace a week ago in Sungai Burong Teck Guan. I came back this morning and found our house had been gutted, everything turned to ashes. Not a single item was saved,” she said.

For Hasoni Basiah, 34, a loud knock on the door by his friend, Awil, woke him up.

“I opened the door. Awil was shouting ‘fire’ and I saw a big fire in my backyard.

“I quickly alerted my wife and sister-in-law,” he said, adding that he only had time to take important documents before dashing out to safety.

Nur Anita Saddu, 30, said her husband and two children managed to save themselves after hearing a dog barking loudly as if to warn them of something. It was then that she heard her neighbour’s shouts.

“When we left the house, the fire had already spread to our neighbour’s house. I only managed to take out the children’s clothes and my husband managed to move the car to a safe place,” she added.

Abbas Tenri, 49, said he could not save his sons’ birth certificates, which were destroyed along with other items in their house.

“I and my seven children are safe. There were only two birth certificates that my children did not have time to take. I am also at a loss as the children will be starting school tomorrow but their school items are all destroyed,” he added.

Meanwhile, state assistant finance minister Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, who is also Apas assemblyman, said the state government will help the fire victims.

He said the authorities, including the Tawau district disaster committee and the welfare department, were looking into the needs of the victims. - FMT