TAWAU: The charred bodies of a couple were found while seven other individuals sustained burns in a fire that razed about 40 houses in Kampung Sungai Buaya, Jalan Tawau Lama here late Saturday (Jan 8) night.

       The bodies of Saiful Rosli, 32, and Jumaidah M. Jida, 36, were found by firemen early Sunday (Jan 9) morning after the blaze was extinguished by 6.20am.

       Tawau Fire and Rescue Department station chief Julius John Stephen Jr said they received a call at 12.25am and 25 firefighters were dispatched in two fire engines to the location.

       "A victim, Mutalib Suma, 45, suffered 86% burns while a 26-year-old man and an 18-year-old girl had 17% burns.

       "Apart from that three girls and a boy aged between six and 12 had (slight) burns and all the injured were brought to Tawau Hospital for treatment,” he told reporters.

       He said the cause of the fire was still being determined.

       One of those affected by the fire, Mala Tipung, 46, was in tears after finding her house, which had been left vacant for a week, burnt to the ground.

       "I went to my husband's workplace a week ago in Sungai Burong Teck Guan. I came back this morning and found our house had been gutted, everything turned to ashes, not a single item was saved," she said.

       For Hasoni Basiah, 34, a loud knock on the door by his friend Awil woke him up in the nick of time.

       "I opened the door, my friend Awil was shouting 'Fire!' and I saw flames in my back yard. I quickly alerted my wife and sister-in -law (who got to safety)," he said, adding that he only had time to take some important documents before dashing out of the house.

       Nur Anita Saddu, 30, said her husband and two children managed to save themselves after hearing a dog barking loudly, followed by their neighbours shouting.

       "When we left the house, the fire had already reached our neighbour's house. I only managed to take the children's clothes and my husband managed to move the car to a safe place," she added.

       Abbas Tenri, 49, said he could not save his sons’ birth certificates which were destroyed along with other items in his house.

       "My seven children and I are safe, there are only two birth certificates that my children did not have time to take.

       "The children will be starting school tomorrow (Monday, Jan 10) but their supplies have all been destroyed," he added.

       Meanwhile, state Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, who is also Apas assemblyman, expressed his sympathy for all the fire victims.

       He said the authorities including the Tawau district disaster committee and the Welfare Department are looking into the needs of the victims. – Bernama