Public assistance needed after fire damages Penampang school hostel

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Fire at the hostel.

 

KOTA KINABALU: The Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin in Penampang is appealing to the public for assistance to help the 117 male students after their hostel was damaged by fire this morning.

Its Chairman Adelaide Cornelius said the boys were left with only the clothes on their back.

“What is in dire need at the moment are mats, mattresses, pillows, bed linen, clothes and shoes as well as things like toothbrushes, pails and towels,” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post.

According to Adelaide, the students are from Form 1 to Form 5 and are from all over the state as SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin is a sports school.

There are also students who come from the interior areas of Sabah, he added.

“We are appealing to the public to help these students. They can contact me at 013-8845645 or Boniface Edwin Amir for futher details on what is needed. Alternatively those who wish to donate cash can do so to the PTA’s account at Alliance Bank. The bank number is 101230010009479,” he said.

Fire at the tw- storey building broke out at about 7.30am and firemen from the Penampang, Lintas and Kota Kinabalu rushed to the scene. They arrived at 7.39am and had the blaze under control by 8.07am.

It was put out at 9.02am, a statement from the State Fire and Rescue Services Department’s Operations Centre said.

According to the statement, a total of 53 firemen, four fire engines, two EMRS and four utility responded to the call for assistance.

There were no injuries reported in the fire as all the occupants were at school. The top floor of the hostel was destroyed in the blaze.