KOTA KINABALU, July 29 -- Two separate fires broke out in the city early this morning, one gutting a historic 60-year-old community hall and another forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents and tourists from The Shore condominium complex.

In the first incident, the iconic Kota Kinabalu Community Hall, located along Jalan Dewan, was approximately 80 per cent destroyed in a midnight blaze.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Asama Saruddin said a distress call was received at 12.44 am, and 25 personnel from the Kota Kinabalu, Lintas, and Penampang fire stations were deployed.

"Upon arrival, the team found the fire had engulfed most of the hall, along with an adjacent recycling storage area," Asama said at the sce...