KUDAT: About 200 people were made homeless when fire destroyed 40 wooden houses at Kampung Tanjung Kapur Tengah here yesterday.
Fire and Rescue personnel carrying out investigation at the scene of the fire yesterday.
The fire is believed to have started from one of the houses around 12.30pm and destroyed the houses as they were built close to one another.
Kudat Fire and Rescue Services Department chief Jasri Abdul Jal said the station received a distress call at 12.45pm and two fire engines with 16 personnel were immediately rushed to the scene.
He said Fire and Rescue Services personnel managed to control the blaze by 3.02pm while the whole operation ended about an hour later.
No casualty was reported while the cause of fire and total losses were still under investigation.
This was the ninth fire incident since the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri reported on July 29 which killed four victims.
Meanwhile, Tanjung Kapor assemblyman Datuk Teo Chee Kang said the district disaster committee would hold a meeting today to look into further ways and means to assist the fire victims.
Based on the report he gathered, Teo said 67 houses were destroyed in the fire, leaving a total of 429 people homeless, some of whom were believed to be IMM13 holders.
Teo, who is also the Minister of Special Tasks, said the Community Development Leader Unit of Tanjung Kapor, together with the Kudat District Office and Welfare Department were compiling information of the victims.
“While some victims will put up at their families’ or relatives’ houses, others are being arranged to stay in community halls at Kampung Tanjung Kapor, Kampung Pantai Bahagia and Kampung Air temporarily.”
Teo also contacted the Welfare Department yesterday who would provide cooked food and other immediate assistance to the victims.
“A meeting will be held by the district disaster committee tomorrow morning (August 6) to look into further ways and means to assist the victims,” he said yesterday.