Saturday, Sep 08, 2012
KOTA KINABALU - A woman who fled with her baby from a burning house could only watch in horror as three other children died in the house at the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
The charred remains of two siblings and their cousin were found in the burnt house in Mokodou, about 70km from Ranau town, more than two hours after the fire started at about 7.30am yesterday.
The dead children were identified as Heirson Simson, four, his sister Alisya Simson, two, and their five-year-old cousin, Mohd Fitri Zakaria.
Basini Latif, 32, said the three were her sisters' children and she was taking care of them while their mothers went to work.
"I was in one of the rooms in the house with my baby while the children were in the living room.
"I then got a whiff of smoke and saw the living hall filled with thick smoke. I could not see the children although I heard their cries," she sobbed.
Barely able to breathe because of the smoke, she picked her baby and fled from the two-storey house as the fire raged.
Ranau Fire and Rescue Services department officer Mohamad Akramin Sakirun said they received a call at 7.52am.
He said the charred remains of the three young victims were found at around 10am, adding that the cause of the fire was being investigated.
The firemen brought the fire under control by 12.20pm, he said, adding that it took them about an hour to reach the scene due to the distance.
