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| BINTULU: An 18-door longhouse in Sebauh was destroyed in a morning
fire Sunday, leaving more that 140 people homeless, while millions of Malaysians
elsewhere were celebrating National Day.
The longhouse, Rumah Anchai along Sungai Sujan is about 100km from here. It is only accessible by water transport. A resident, 36-year-old Sidi Ak Lawa, said the fire started about 9:30am
when most of them were not in the longhouses.
"Most of us were either planting padi in the field or doing a bit of gardening at the material time, " he said, adding that very few managed to salvage their personal belongings, valuables and important documents. "Only the old folks and children were at home, and they could not do much when fire broke out" Sidi added that most of the people in the padi field initially thought that someone was burning tyres when they saw thick somke billowing from the direction of the longhouse. The only realised their longhouse on the fire when someone came to inform them. The cause of fire is not established yet while the residents are still assesing their losses. They are lucky in a sense because no one sustained any injuries nor a life lost in the fire. Meanwhile, the welfare Department Bintulu SPDP Service Centre and Lions Club of Bintulu Madarin have all sent food and used clothing to the victim. |