A 31-year-old man was found dead inside a locked rented room in Sadong Jaya, Kota Kinabalu, after firefighters were forced to break through a wall and force open the door during a late-night rescue operation.
The Kota Kinabalu Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call at 9.25pm on Sunday reporting that a man was believed to be unconscious inside the locked room.
A team of 10 firefighters was immediately deployed to the scene, arriving just four minutes after the call. Unable to gain entry through the locked door, rescuers broke through part of a wall before forcing the door open to reach the occupant.
Inside, firefighters found the man, identified as Daemon Athanasius, unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene before his body was handed over to the police for further investigation and follow-up procedures.
The operation concluded at 9.50pm after firefighters confirmed there were no further hazards at the location.
Authorities have not disclosed the cause of death, and the case is now under police investigation.

