Tragic blaze in Sandakan: Stroke victim dies in fire; brother suffers burns in desperate rescue attempt

SANDAKAN, Nov 17 — A man suffering from stroke paralysis stroke was burned to death, while his brother sustained burns to his back when the house they lived in at Jalan Batu Sapi, Karamunting, caught fire earlier this morning.

Sandakan Fire and Rescue Station (BBP) chief Severinus @ Mohd Nidzam Sainkui said that they received a call about the fire at 8.41am and confirmed that the victim who perished in the fire was Jailan Jaimin, 35, who was found in the living room of the house.

Meanwhile, the victim’s brother, Mohd Fadlee, 25, said he did his best to help his stroke-stricken brother, who had partial paralysis, to escape the house during the fire.

“I was asleep at the time, and I woke up because of the heat. The fire was spreading in my room. I managed to get out of the room because I had a wet towel. At that moment, I shouted to wake my brother up. I tried to go to the kitchen but couldn’t because of the smoke and heat. I also screamed for help from outside, and I heard people telling me to get out of the house quickly as the fire was spreading.”

“I tried to pull my brother out, but he fell to the floor. I made every effort to drag him, but my body was already on fire, and my back was burning. The wooden beams were falling around me, so I had no choice but to run out of the house,” he told Bernama, his voice shaking.

He also recalled hearing his brother repeatedly calling his name, desperately asking for help.

“I couldn’t move him; my brother is big, and I just couldn’t drag him. The fire spread so quickly, the smoke was thick, and I could hardly breathe. As I tried to help, the fire was already on his back. I had to jump out to escape. He was still shouting my name, asking for help,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion.

Three vehicles were destroyed in the fire, including a 10-tonne lorry and two sedans.

The fire and rescue team removed the victim’s body from the scene and handed it over to the police for further investigation.

The operation was concluded at 11.35am. — Bernama