A fire at a Tawau water village destroyed 30 homes, forcing residents to leap into the sea for safety as connecting bridges burned
TAWAU: Several residents of a stilt house village here were forced to jump into the sea to escape a fast-spreading fire that destroyed their homes and connecting bridges.
The fire at Kampung Sri Aman last night razed 30 semi-permanent stilt houses along Lorong Jade 4 on Saturday night.
Victim Liny Daurong, 58, said she and her ill husband were asleep until their son alerted them.
“My son immediately carried his father out of the house because my husband cannot walk or speak,” she said.
Liny managed to grab important documents but turned back when her son re-entered the burning house.
She saw the fire spreading rapidly and the bridge to her home collapsing.
“When I saw that the bridge had collapsed, I jumped into the sea,” Liny told reporters.
She shouted for her son to throw belongings into the chest-high water while praying for safety.
Liny hopes the government will allow rebuilding on the original site and provide financial aid.
Another victim, Janing Jamalang, 57, was asleep when her husband woke her to flee.
She saved nothing in the panic, not even important documents.
Janing described a chaotic scene with people jumping into the sea and others escaping by boat.
Her one-month-old grandchild was placed inside her daughter’s clothing as they ran.
“I am grateful that my family is safe, even though we were left with only the clothes on our backs,” she said.
Janing has lodged a police report about the lost documents.
She also hopes for government assistance to ease the victims’ burden and permit reconstruction.
The Tawau Social Welfare Department has activated a temporary evacuation centre.
Officer Nurul Fadhilah Abdul Hamid said the Tawau Sports Complex multipurpose hall is accommodating over 200 victims. – Bernama
