Tawau victims forced out of their homes
Published on: Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Tawau: Pandemonium broke out when fire swept through a squatter settlement here, Monday, with panic-stricken residents refusing to budge from their houses.They had to be forcibly dragged out of their dwellings by others fleeing the scene, women wept and fainted all around and at least one villager was thought to have got in the way of firefighters.He made their job more difficult when he hacked a hose used by them with a machete.ADVERTISEMENT The scene unfolded when fire broke out at about 3pm in Kg Sentosa Hill Top, Jalan Tengku Osman, also known as Kg Tator.About 500 people were left homeless in the blaze which destroyed 80 houses. Nobody was hurt. A villager, Netty Palimbang in her 40s, said she was resting at home with her seven children and grandchildren when they were shocked by shouts of people alerting them of the fire, prompting all to rush out. Her husband was working at a camp in Sandakan when it happened.ADVERTISEMENT "We managed to salvage very few items but I am thankful that all my family members are safe, that is most important," she said, adding this was the second such incident in the village, the first was in 2000. When several villagers refused to leave their homes, other villagers dragged them out by pulling down the walls while others rushed to salvage their belongings.
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It is understood that several women also fainted when they saw their homes in fire. District Deputy Fire and Rescue Department Chief Faisal Ahmad who led the operation said 26 personnel rushed to the scene after receiving a call at about 3.10pm. They were assisted by the police, army, Civil Defence Department, Welfare Department and Fire and Rescue Volunteer team. The team had a tough time putting out the fire after a villager was believed to have used a machete to chop one of their hoses during the operation. However they managed to stop the fire from spreading at about 4.15pm using water sourced from the army and Road Transport Department office located nearby. The operation was still on-going at press time. Faisal hoped the Village Security and Development Committee would set up a Fire and Rescue Community, particularly in the squatter area. Tawau Municipal Council President Datuk Ismail Mayakob when met at the scene said they will set up a tent in front of the village community hall for easy distribution of food to registered fire victims. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"A total of 1,000 packed food have so far been distributed to the victims, courtesy of Kalabakan MP Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh," he said. He reminded the villagers to be cautious to the risk of fire particularly during the dry season.