KOTA KINABALU: A year-old girl was among five children from two families who were killed in a fire at a squatter settlement here today.
The dead were identified as Raina Adrian, 1, and her siblings Raida, 3, and Raisa, 4; and two of their neighbour's children : Siti Faridah Wahid, 3, and her elder sister Almidah, 14.
The 12.40pm fire was in Jalan Lembaga Padi, Lorong Burung Keleto, Likas here.
Initial reports showed that the five victims were children from two neighbouring families.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Kasim Muda said the fire involved four houses and a stall.
"The charred remains of the victims were found in the bathroom of one of the houses," he said, adding authorities are classifying the case as sudden death.
Meanwhile, Sabah Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Farhan Sufyan Borhan said an emergency call was received at 12.47 pm.
A team of 35 officers and personnel, along with fire engines and the Emergency Medical Response Services (EMRS), were immediately dispatched to the scene.
"Firefighting operations were led by the Lintas Fire and Rescue Station and supported by the Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran, and Putatan stations."
The fire was brought under control by 1.29 pm, and efforts to extinguish remaining embers and gather more information about the victims were ongoing, he said.
All victims were recovered and handed over to the police for further action.
The cause of the fire and the total losses are still under investigation by the Fire and Rescue Department's Forensic Team.