Sibu longhouse razed, 100 residents left homeless

SIBU: It will be a bleak Gawai for some 100 residents of Rumah Selunsin in Pakan here after their 15-door longhouse was razed on Tuesday (May 30).

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said in its update that a distress call was received at 10.36am concerning a major fire at a longhouse.

"A total of 20 firefighters from the Bintangor and Sarikei stations were immediately deployed. When they arrived, the fire was already at its height," it said.

It added that firefighters used water from the longhouse pond to douse the flames.

The fire was brought under control about an hour later.

By then, however, the bedrooms and verandah were destroyed while the back of the two-storey longhouse was 80% damaged.

"All the residents managed to escape to safety," it added.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.