KUCHING: A total of 14 people from RPR Sibiew, Bintulu, were left homeless after their houses caught fire, yesterday.
State Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Tiong Ling Hii said they received a distress call at 3.02am.
“Upon receiving the distress call, we immediately dispatched one fire engine with seven firefighters led by Zulkifli Narawei from the Bintulu Bomba station to the scene. The team was assisted by two policemen and three Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation (Sesco) personnel,” he added.
When the rescue team arrived at the scene, it was discovered that five houses were totally razed to the ground, and one 80 percent destroyed by the fire, Tiong disclosed, adding, the fire was only put under control at 3.29am.
Initial investigation found that only two of the houses were occupied while four others were empty.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson of Civil Defence Force (APM), which also sent a rescue team to the scene, said they received a distress call at 6.48am on Monday that a fire broke out at Lorong A1, RPR Sibiew, in Bintulu.
Upon arriving at the fire scene, they found the Bomba team members were already there, trying their best to put out the fire.
Based on the victims’ statement, the fire started at a corner house before spreading to five other units. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
No report of any injury among the victims was received so far and they are currently staying with their relatives.
