©BRUDIRECT.COM photo
The fire also destroyed the nearby tailor and laundry shops. Photo show the thick smoke built up from the blaze. -©BRUDIRECT.COM photo
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Three people, two of them were reportedly locals, women, and one is a Malaysian, were killed in a raging blaze that ravaged a furniture warehouse Kg Mulaut near Kg Pasai 2, ©BRUDIRECT.COM reported.
There were around ten staff at the store when the fire broke out, and following evacuation of the building the workers noticed that three of their colleagues were missing.
Nearby, expat workers at a laundry and tailor shop were seen hurriedly removing their belongings as the fire began to rapidly spread from the furniture store.
A commotion was rife at the scene as the search for missing trio was made by fellow coworkers who also tried to reach them by phone, but to no avail.
A huge fireball could be seen and explosions were so loud that some people in Jangsak could hear the successive blasts. Six fire engines manned by twenty four personnel were dispatched to the scene as the police cordoned off the road during peak hour to ease the entry and exit emergency services.
Family members of the victims waited anxiously as the closest ones were brought into the incinerated warehouse to identify the remains of their beloved ones. Paramedics at the scene had to attend to some of the family members who were overwhelmed with sorrowful emotion.
The police added that DNA tests were being carried out to identify the victims. The nearby laundry and tailor shop were also burnt to the ground.
At least three other foreign workers survived the blaze and they sustained thermal injuries to their legs, face and arms. They were rushed by paramedics to hospital for immediate medical treatment.
According to family members at the scene, one of the victims started working at the warehouse for two weeks and joined his friend, who was also one of the three who perished in the incident. The third victim was believed to be a foreign national.
A Filipino employee by the name Fernando, who has been working at the store for two years, said they were resting after lunch when all of a sudden a fire broke out. Cars parked around the area were also caught fire and subsequently damaged as a result.
Yusof Daud, who lives next to the warehouse, said strong winds blowing into the direction of his residence caused the fire to spread to his kitchen and garage, burning his vehicles.
Md Hussein, who owned one of the tailoring shops, said that he lost nearly BND$30,000 worth of textiles and two sewing machines while Aqueel Ahmad, owner of a laundry nearby, tailoring and shoe repair shop, stated he may have lost tens of thousands worth of assets in the fire.
The Fire and Rescue Department said they received the distress call at 12.49pm and fire engines from Pangkalan Batu, Jerudong and Bandar Seri Begawan were dispatched to the scene.
The operation was led by Assistant Superintendant Hj Nordin Hj Buntan and they managed to extinguish the blaze in thirty three minutes. The cause of the blaze and the actual amount of losses are still under investigation.