Fire Disaster in Sabah: Pregnant Woman Hospitalized as Five Children Lose Lives
On Monday afternoon, a fire engulfed a home in Sabah, resulting in the heartbreaking deaths of five young children.
KOTA KINABALU: On Monday afternoon, a fire engulfed a home in Sabah, resulting in the heartbreaking deaths of five young children, including three belonging to a pregnant woman who was taken to the hospital. The tragic incident unfolded, leaving a community in mourning.
The victims were identified as Raisa, four years old, and her two younger sisters, Raidah, three, and Raina, one. Their neighbors, 14-year-old Almidah and three-year-old Siti Faridah, also perished in the fire. Their charred bodies were found together in the bathroom, marking a devastating end to their lives.
Agustavia Joe Guasi, Chief of the Lintas Fire and Rescue Services Department, explained that the fire broke out at a critical moment for the pregnant mother, who was caring for seven children. “She was experiencing labor pains and was preparing to go to the Likas Women and Children’s Hospital when the flames erupted,” Guasi said.
After receiving an emergency call at 12:44 PM, a team of 33 firefighters from the Lintas, Kota Kinabalu, and Putatan stations quickly responded to the situation on Jalan Lembaga Padi, Lorong Burung Keleto in Likas. The fire spread quickly, destroying three homes, a storage area, and a grocery shop.
“The mother has been taken to the hospital, where she has reportedly given birth,” Guasi mentioned, though details about her condition remain scarce.
Meanwhile, Wahid Maulan, the father of the two deceased girls, expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of his daughters. A construction worker, he last interacted with Siti Faridah and Almidah just a day prior, having promised to bring them some money when he returned home from work in Kota Belud.
“I said goodbye to them, asking them to pray for my work. I never thought it would be the last time I saw them,” he said, his voice heavy with grief.
Upon hearing about the fire, Wahid raced back from Kota Belud, only to face the harsh reality of losing his beloved children. “Even though this burden is too much to bear, I accept it as Allah’s will that they were taken from us at such a young age,” he reflected, grappling with the magnitude of his loss.
