Two sisters were burnt to death while their parents and two brothers managed to escape from a fire that destroyed their two-storey semi-concrete house at Mile 27 Keningau-Tenom Road early yesterday morning.

The victims were identified as Vanessa Sim @ Sim Suk Ling, a 15-year-old form three student of SMJKs Ken Hwa and her younger sister Jeshin Sim Sun Fun, 12, a year six student of SJKCs Yuk Kong.

District police chief Deputy Superintendent Douglas Nyeging Taong said the two sisters were sleeping on the upper floor of the house when the fire broke out about 1.30am.

The survivors were Sim Kea Fah @ Johnny, his wife Suinah Horom, and their two sons Jacky and Jafry Sim.

Douglas said police received a call from the public to inform of the fire.

He said police investigation at the scene found that all the windows of the house were installed with grills and only the front door could be used to enter the house.

The house owner, Sim, told the police that his two daughters were still in the house when it was burning.

“According to the victims’ father, both victims slept upstairs while the two brothers slept with their father and mother at the ground floor.

“It is believed that the two girls could not escape,” he said.

Douglas added the remains of the two victims were found on the ground floor of the house after the fire was extinguished at 3.31am.

He said both bodies were taken to the Keningau Hospital for an autopsy while losses and cause of fire were under investigation by the Fire and Rescue Department.

“This case is classified as sudden death and police will continue their investigation to identify the real cause of the incident,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Development Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Assistant Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Datuk Haji Sairin Karno visited and presented donation to the victims’ family last evening.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by The Borneo Post

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