SANDAKAN: Firefighters responded to two separate incidents in Tongod and Sandakan involving a missing person case and a warehouse fire, respectively.
In Tongod, a man has been reported missing in a forested area near Kampung Meliau after he failed to return home from his farm. According to reports, the victim was last seen leaving for his farm on March 15 at around 11.00 am.
The emergency call was received on March 16 at 4.17 pm, prompting a response from the Kinabatangan Fire and Rescue Station. A team of three personnel, led by Operations Commander PBK II Zia Hairil Hamzah, was deployed to the scene, located approximately 148 kilometres away.
The team arrived at 7.25 pm, and search and rescue (SAR) operation is currently ongoing. The missing individual is identified as Mohd Nizam Dahlan, aged 32.
In a separate incident in Sandakan, a warehouse fire broke out at palm oil mill in Batu Sapi in the early hours of March 17. The emergency call was received at 2.46 am via the NG999 line, and 14 firefighters from the Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station were despatched to the location, around 15 kilometres from the station. They arrived at 3.08 am.
The fire involved a warehouse structure used to store palm oil fibre, consisting of three blocks measuring approximately 90 by 100 square feet each. One block was about 40 percent damaged by fire, while firefighters successfully prevented the flames from spreading to the remaining two blocks.
Initial firefighting efforts were carried out by the factory’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), who deployed two hose lines using water from nearby hydrants before the firemen arrived. Upon arrival, firefighters continued suppression efforts using water from a tanker.
The fire was brought under control at 3.52 am, and operations concluded at 5.40 am after firemen ensured the area was safe. No casualties were reported in the incident. – James Leong
Sandakan firemen extinguishing the fire at the palm oil mill warehouse in Batu Sapi early Tuesday.
