Sandakan raze could be controlled if access to rooftop was not locked, says Poon

30 Oct 2021 By Wartawan Nabalu News SANDAKAN: A fire that broke out at a building here last night which claimed the live of a one-year-old child could be controlled if it weren’t because of a locked access, said Tanjong Papat assemblyman Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung. It was learned that there were more than 20 occupants, including small children, in the second floor. “Fortunately, firemen were able to put out the fire very quickly after they arrived which otherwise could have more serious material damage and lives lost. “However, it was very unfortunate that in the commotion of escaping from the fire and smoke a one-year-old child was left behind and perished in the fire. “Other residents in the same block also managed to escape the fire but not before inhaling the smoke from the fire,” he said in a statement today. Those affected by smoke inhalation and other issues were sent to the Duchess of Kent Hospital for observations and other primary care, he added. According to Poon, there is a stairway to access the rooftop of the seven-storey building but some individual claimed that a metal gate has been put up at the fifth floor. The gate was locked to prevent anyone from assessing the upper floors or roof. “If the gate had not been put up, at least the smoke would have gone up to the upper floor and escaped into the air. “Instead, the smoke build-up made visibility difficult and many in the building struggled to breathe. The roof is adjoining to neighbouring building of same height,” he explained. Hence, he urged the Sandakan City Council to check on all buildings to ensure that no one would put a gate at a the stairway of any multistorey building to avoid reoccurrence of similar incident and to prevent lost of lives.