KOTA KINABALU: Fire gutted two furniture factories and an iron factory behind a Shell petrol station in Donggongon on Sunday night.
The fire, which broke out at 9.30pm, had threatened to spread to the petrol station located around 50 feet away.
Fortunately, a staff at the petrol station immediately initiated its emergency mechanism and called the Fire and Rescue Department.
Upon arrival, fire personnel set out to put out flames that were threatening to spread to the surrounding buildings and petrol station before turning their attention to the furniture factories and iron factory that were engulfed in flames.
An explosion was also heard at the scene, believed to be caused by a gas stove that exploded in one of the factories.
According to the daughter of the furniture factory’s owner, who wished to be known as Ah May only, the fire broke out about 9.30pm.
She said the fire was worse than she had imagined, as many of the equipment in the factory were destroyed in the fire, and she estimated the loss at around RM100,000.
The cause of fire and losses are still under investigation.