BINTULU: Three hundred and fifty residents were left with nothing but clothes on their backs after a wooden 23-door Tuai Rumah Nura longhouse at Sungai Labang here was completely engulfed in an afternoon blaze today (Sept 12).
Fortunately, no lives were lost in the 3.32 pm incident as about 350 residents managed to evacuate to safety.
A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said that firefighters from Bintulu and Samalaju stations were dispatched to the scene after receiving an emergency call.
Upon arrival, they found the single-storey wooden residential block beyond saving and the extinguishing deed was quickly performed using water sourced from the river nearby.
The fire was brought under control at 5 pm, followed by overhaul works to ensure that there was no risk of reignition.
Once the situation was deemed safe, the team ended the operation. The cause of the fire and losses incurred is still under investigation.
