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- The fierce fire razing Rumah Tani to the ground.
KAPIT: Rumah Tani, a 15-door longhouse at Tunoh, Bukit Mabong District was completely destroyed in an afternoon fire on Tuesday.
The whole structure was reduced to ashes within three hours after the fire started at around 3.30pm.
Without any fire fighting equipment, the occupants of the longhouse could only watch the inferno, which was aided by the hot weather and strong wind, raze their homes mercilessly.
The nearest Fire and Rescue Station is in Kapit town, which is about three and half hours’ drive away by 4WD vehicles on logging road.
Kapit police received a report on the fire at 5.15pm while the Fire and Rescue Station received the distress call at almost the same time.
Due to the remoteness of the longhouse, the police and the fire station could only despatch their teams to the scene early yesterday morning.
At press time, they have not returned and the cause of the fire and damage are still unknown.
Many of the longhouse residents were in their farms during the fire while those who were at home panicked and could not salvage any of their belongings but ran away to a safe distance and watched the fire raze their homes helplessly.
Hulu Rajang Member of Parliament Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong flew from Kuching early yesterday morning on a chartered helicopter to visit the victims.
Accompanying Ugak were Kapit Resident Joseph Belayong and Bukit Mabong District Officer Douglas Pungga. Until press time, the trio have not returned to Kapit.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, who is Baleh assemblyman, has promised all necessary assistance to the victims to rebuild their homes.
Malaysian Red Crescent Kapit Chapter and Lions Club Kapit donated immediate disaster relief items to the fire victims.
Among the items were 75 blankets worth RM712.50 and food items worth RM1432.50 and more than a dozen boxes of cloth.
The donations were handed over Malaysian Red Crescent Kapit Chapter Disaster Relief Committee chairman Anthony Jalin Manggie and Kapit Lions Club president Ong Hwang Seng.