60 houses gutted in fire
TAWAU: At least 60 homes were destroyed in a fire in Kampung Otentik,
Tanjung Batu Keramat last night.
Tawau Fire and Rescue station chief Sharudy Delamin said firefighters had
difficulty putting out the fire due to strong wind as well as the houses were
built too close to each other.
“The station received an emergency call at 7.51 pm before four Fire Rescue
Tender (FRT) engines and 53 firefighters from Tawau Fire station rushed to the
scene.
“An FRT machine from Kunak Fire and Rescue station was also deployed to the
location,” he said.
He said the fire was brought under control at 12.48 am and completely put out
at 3 am.
The firefighting operation was also assisted by the villagers, Merotai
volunteer firefighters as well as personnel from the Malaysian Civil Defence
Force (APM) and Malaysian Volunteer Corps (Rela), he said.
Sharudy said no fatalities were reported while the cause of the fire and the
estimated losses were still under investigation.
