Bomba at the scene of the incident.
KUCHING: Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen’s residence at Jalan Nyiur, Off Jalan Tabuan here was partially destroyed in a fire at 4.54pm on Thursday.
State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) assistant operations director Tiong Ling Hii said his men from Tabuan Jaya and Batu Lintang Bomba stations were quickly deployed to the former domestic trade and consumer affairs deputy minister’s residence.
He said the operations commander reported that the upper floor of the two-storey unit had caught fire, which involved a reading room.
Tiong said it took the firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the fire.
He said about 20 per cent of the reading room was destroyed, adding that five people were in the house at the time of the incident.
The Bomba operations chief said no injuries or fatalities were reported, and the estimated losses and cause of the fire were still under investigation.
Chong, who is also Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman, was at home when the fire occurred.
He thanked Bomba for their swift response in putting out the fire on his Facebook page last night.
“I called Bomba and they were there in about five minutes’ time. Had it not for their quick response, the fire would have spread to other rooms,” he said, adding that his family house is 20 years old.