77-year-old man lost his life in stilt house fire in Sabah
A 77-year-old man was killed in a fire that destroyed a stilt house in Kampung Mumiang, Sandakan, Sabah, after firefighters were delayed by low tide and lack of access.
The fire broke out at around 7pm on Tuesday (24 March). According to Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department Chief Jimmy Lagung, a team of eight personnel was dispatched after receiving the distress call.
Rescue operation obstructed by receding tide
However, the location was about 70km from the city centre. Upon arrival, firefighters found that there was no land access to the site.
The situation was worsened by receding tide levels, which made the surrounding waters impassable for standard rescue boats.
Source: Oriental Daily News
Officers had to coordinate with the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to secure a suitable vessel to reach the area by water.
However, the rescue mission was further complicated by a receding tide, which made the water route impassable for a significant period.
Firefighters reached the site after four hours
The team only managed to reach the site at 11.40pm, nearly four hours after the report, but residents had already attempted to fight the fire using water pumps.
Fire crews then worked to extinguish the remaining flames and secured the area. Despite their best efforts, the wooden structure was completely reduced to ashes.
Officers from the General Operations Force (GOF), who arrived earlier to assist, discovered a charred body inside the burnt structure.
The victim was later identified as Lee Teng Meng (name transliterated from Mandarin), aged 77.
Source: China Press
His remains have been handed over to the police for further action. Authorities are also continuing to investigate the cause of the fire.
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Featured image adapted from Oriental Daily News and China Press.
