S'wak deputy minister's home in remote Bario destroyed by fire

A house belonging to a Sarawak deputy minister in Pa' Umor, Bario, a highland area in the northern interior of the state, was razed by fire yesterday.

Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department director Khirudin Drahman said the house, owned by Gerawat Gala, deputy minister in the Sarawak Premier's Department, is located deep in the interior and accessible by land via a logging road only.

"The fire broke out at about 1.10am. Villagers, police army personnel and volunteer firefighters tried to put out the blaze but the house was destroyed,” he said today.

There were no casualties as the six people who were at home at the time managed to escape, he added.

According to Khirudin, the nearest fire station, in Marudi, is about 460 km away, and it takes 20 hours for firefighters to reach the location by land, depending on the weather conditions.

"Investigators used firefighters’ helicopter to get to the scene,” he said, adding that the journey by air took almost one hour.

Meanwhile, the Army Eastern Field Command Headquarters, based at Muara Tuang Camp in Kota Samarahan, said the Sixth Battalion Border Regiment (6RS) participated in the firefighting operations.

"Upon receiving a call for help from Pa' Umor village head Pasang Ibuh at 2am, an officer along with 20 other members of the 6RS were deployed to the location, which is 10km away from the Bario Post," it said in a statement today.

Gerawat, who is also the state assemblyperson for Mulu, could not be reached by Bernama for comments as of press time.

- Bernama

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