A fire broke out in Sri Aman 2 Water Village in Tawau, Sabah, early Sunday morning (January 12), resulting in the complete destruction of 62 houses and a mosque.
Tawau Fire and Rescue Chief Jamisen Ukin stated that they received the fire alert at 7:46 AM and immediately proceeded to the scene to commence firefighting operations.
Since the fire occurred in a water village, with houses closely packed together, and the tide being low at the time, firefighters were unable to quickly source water from the area to extinguish the fire. They could only obtain water from a hydrant or main road approximately 600 feet away from the site, posing significant challenges to the firefighting efforts.
The fire occurred in the Kampung Sungai Buaya area, located three miles along Jalan Apas. According to Jamisen, around 7 AM, the fire rapidly spread among the predominantly wooden houses, with strong winds facilitating the spread of the flames, resulting in severe damage.
The fire occurred in the Kampung Sungai Buaya area, located three miles along Jalan Apas. According to Jamisen, around 7 AM, the fire rapidly spread among the predominantly wooden houses, with strong winds facilitating the spread of the flames, resulting in severe damage.
Currently, the Tawau Fire and Rescue Department is making full efforts to extinguish the fire while investigating the cause of the blaze. Fortunately, there have been no reports of casualties so far. The fire department cautions residents living in water villages to be particularly mindful of fire safety to prevent similar incidents in the future.