TAWAU, Nov 6 — Strong winds and heavy rain hit Tawau from midnight until early morning, toppling trees, damaging public facilities, destroying a stilt house, and knocking down the town’s iconic ‘Ta’ and ‘Wau’ Jawi letter structure.

Tawau Fire and Rescue Station chief Jemishin Ujin said the incident occurred around 3.10 am when strong winds caused a stilt house in Kampung Hidayat to collapse.

“A man who was inside the house managed to escape but suffered minor leg injuries.

“’Six firefighters and a Fire Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicle were sent to the scene, and when they arrived at 3.18 am, the wooden house had completely collapsed,” he told Bernama when contacted today.

Jemishin advised nearby residents to temporarily leave their homes to avoid any untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) president Joseph Pang said the council will assess damage to its properties, including the iconic Tawau structure that collapsed.

He said community development officers will also help report damage to residents’ homes.

“MPT will seek funding assistance from the Chief Minister’s Department or the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) to help those affected,” he added. — Bernama