59 residents of Rumah Mandau, Sebangkoi left homeless in mid-morning fire
SARIKEI: Fifty-nine residents of Rumah Mandau, Sebangkoi near here were made homeless after a fire razed their 12- door longhouse around 11am last Sunday.
Sarikei District Fire and Rescue Services Department ( Bomba) chief Suna Kaha said they received a distress call at 11.08am and rushed a team of 11 firefighters to the longhouse located about 17 kilometres away.
When the firemen arrived in about seven minutes later, the fire was already at its height and had razed almost 90 per cent of the semi- concrete longhouse.
With assistance extended by eight firefighters from Saratok who came in an engine, they managed to contain the fire in about 40 minutes.
Several policemen and members of Civil Defence Department also helped in dousing the fire as well as ensuring the safety of the villagers.
The longhouse residents claimed that the fire had started from a kitchen of an intermediate unit where an elderly man is said to be staying alone and was using fire wood for cooking.
However, the actual cause of the fire and loss to properties are yet to be ascertained as the authorities are still investigating. There were no reports of casualties.
Meanwhile, the Welfare Department and several organisations and individuals visited the victims to offer immediate relief assistance.
Among them were Sarikei Member of Parliament Andrew Wong Ling Biu and several DAP members; representatives of Repok assemblyman Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii and members of Sarawak United People’s Party SUPP Sarikei branch.