KOTA KINABALU - A teenage boy with disabilities died while his elder brother was injured in a house fire at Kampung Torintidon in Kota Marudu early this morning.
Kota Marudu Fire and Rescue Station chief Debli Mamoi said they received an emergency call regarding the incident at 3.23am.
"A total of 10 personnel, together with one Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) and a Vigo vehicle, were dispatched to the location, which is about 22 kilometres from the station,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
He said that upon arrival at the scene at 4.48am, the operations team found that the blaze had completely destroyed a non-permanent residential unit.
Debli said firefighters found the charred remains of the 16-year-old boy while his 28-year-old brother, who sustained burn injuries, had been sent to Kota Marudu Hospital by villagers.
He said the man was believed to have suffered burns while attempting to rescue his younger brother in the incident.
He added that firefighting operations faced challenges as the access road to the scene was unpaved and communication coverage in the village was unstable.
The FRT vehicle was only able to travel up to 14 kilometres near Sekolah Kebangsaan Lampada, after which firefighters continued to the scene using the Vigo vehicle.
The fire was brought under control at 4.56 am and the operation was concluded at 6.53 am. - BERNAMA