KOTA KINABALU: Ten houses in a Tawau village were totally gutted, leaving 143 from 27 families homeless.

       The fire early yesterday was believed to have been sparked by electrical wiring connected to a ceiling fan at the living room in one of the houses.

       The Tawau Fire and Rescue Department received a call at around 6.21am about the blaze at Kampung Kinabutan Besar, Batu 5, Jalan Apas there.

       “There were no fatalities or casualties. During the incident, six vehicles also caught fire,” said a department spokesman.

       The fire was brought under control at 6.50am and the operation ended at 11.27am.