December 13, 2024

New Malaysia Times

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200 people made homeless in Bintulu longhouse fire

bintulu

SIBU, Jan 15 — Some 200 people were made homeless when fire destroyed 33 doors of a 36-door longhouse in Sungai Segan, Ulu Sebauh, Bintulu, about 180km from here, this morning.

However, no casualties were reported.

A spokesperson for the Operations Centre of the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said the fire destroyed about 90 per cent of the non-permanent structure of an old block of the longhouse.

“Firemen managed to completely extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading to the new block of the longhouse which is only four metres away from where the fire occurred.

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“The incident has affected about 200 residents from 33 families and all of them managed to escape unhurt in the incident,” he said in a statement today.

Meanwhile, Bintulu Fire and Rescue Department zone chief Wan Kamaruddin Wan Ahmad, when contacted by Bernama said the fire was believed to have started from the middle unit of the longhouse.

The cause of the incident and the losses incurred are still under investigation.

NMT as reported by Bernama