KOTA KINABALU, August 1 — Three men burnt to death in their sleep in two separate pre-dawn fires that razed their homes on the outskirts of the Sabah state capital today.

A fire that broke out at 1.30am in Menggatal, some 30 minutes away from here, destroyed a row of shophouses.

Fire fighters on the scene found the charred remains of 20-year-old Assar Khan and 40-year Zaris Khan, said to be Pakistani workers.

Menggatal was formerly a Chinese enclave, but has in recent years seen a rise in its immigrant population due to a refugee settlement and squatter colonies nearby.

A second fire broke out later this morning in Kampung Sungai Damit, Tuaran, some 15km away from Menggatal and claimed the life of 97-year-old Pukimin Yokomo.

The fire destroyed the wood-and-concrete house. 

A Sabah Fire and Rescue Services Department vehicle is seen near the smoking ruins of the shophouses in Sabah, on August 1, 2014.