Supermarket gutted in Sandakan fire

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The Servay Supermarket in Kim Fung after the fire was put out.

The back section of the supermarket where smoke was first detected.

SANDAKAN: A double-storey Servay Supermarket in Kim Fung Town off Mile 4 was gutted in a midnight fire on Tuesday.

The 12.08 am blaze, however was put out before it could spread to the nearby shop lots and housing area, located next to shop building.

The supermarket’s security guard, Alin Bungan, who witnessed the incident has heard the sound of the supermarket’s alarm and went to checked the building before seen a smoke coming out from the back area.

He then prompted the incident to the nearest police bit before the police called Fire and Rescue Department.

According to Chief of Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department, Jemishin Ujin, upon received a distress call, 45 members with four fire engines and six utility vehicles were rushed to scene and arrived within minutes.

“We managed to put off the fire around 3.38am from spread to several next shop lots that sharing the same building with Servay Supermarket and to nearby houses which attached on the building’s right side,” he said adding that they also faced problem with the grills surrounding the supermarket during the operation.

Meanwhile, Chief Police, ACP Rowell Marung who visited the scene said the police will do an investigation based on the forensic’s findings of Fire and Rescue Department.

“Police will do investigation based from the forensic’s finding of Fire and Rescue Department whether the incident happened due to foul play or sabotage,” he said.

Fire and Rescue Department has estimated that 150feet length x 50 feet width from the overall supermarket was affected by the fire. The loss and cause of the fire are being determined.

Servay Supermarket in Kim Fung which was opened in 1999 has been operated daily from 10am to 10pm with some 300 staff.

This was the second fire involving Servay hypermarkets.

On August 2008, a huge fire engulfed the Servay hypermarket in Penampang at 7.30pm.

The hypermarket was fully rebuilt and reopened for business on June 29, 2010.

Servay hypermarkets are also located in Kota Kinabalu, Likas, Putatan, Keningau, Tawau and Lahad Datu.