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MORE than 300 people were left homeless after their Gawai celebration ended with their longhouse razed.
Longhouse Rumah Ugop, located in rural Sebauh district about 150km from Bintulu town in northern Sarawak, was burned down in a late-night fire.
The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department today confirmed that the fire destroyed all 43 units built next to each other in the longhouse.
The fire station in Bintulu received an emergency alert at about 1am.
“The location of the longhouse is 142km from Bintulu.
“The only road leading to the place is via a plantation road.
“When our unit arrived, the longhouse was totally burned,” the department said.
The cause of the fire is being probed.
All the residents escaped the fire.
They are staying in makeshift shelters pending help from the Welfare Department. – June 2, 2024.