SANDAKAN: Just 10 days after a major fire in Kampung Bahagia, Batu Sapi, 30 wooden houses in the squatter area of PPH Karamunting were destroyed in a fire, leaving nearly 200 people homeless early Wednesday.
Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station Chief Jimmy Lagung said they received an emergency call via the NG999 line at 3.16am and immediately dispatched 21 personnel to the scene, located 16km away, led by operations commander Rosemedian Majid.
Also assisting at the scene were two drone unit personnel, police officers, members of the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) Sandakan, Rela personnel, the Royal Malaysian Navy, as well as members of the public.
The fire brigade managed to save 100 houses from being engulfed by the fire by extinguishing the blaze using water from fire engine tanks and nearby hydrants.
He said the fire was brought under control at 4.29am and the operation ended at 7.01am. “No casualties or injuries were reported, while the cause of the fire and estimated losses are still under investigation,” he added.
Meanwhile, a temporary evacuation centre (PPS) at Dewan Kampung Air has been opened to accommodate 186 victims from 40 families.
One of the fire victims, Halimah Hassan, 56, who had lived in the area for 20 years, said she was shocked but had to accept the fate that had befallen her and her family.
Halimah, a Rela member who had been on duty at the PPS in Kampung Bahagia since April 19, said she never expected to experience such a fire, especially after witnessing the hardship faced by victims of the Kampung Bahagia fire who lost their homes.
“I was actually on night shift at the Kampung Bahagia PPS on the day of the incident and rushed home as soon as I received a call from my child saying our house was on fire,” she said.
Halimah added that she and her family are now staying at the PPS at Dewan Kampung Air set up by the authorities and are still uncertain about their future when the centre ceases operations.
