Fire destroys dozens of wooden homes in Sibu

A large fire destroyed dozens of wooden houses at Kampung Dato—one of the oldest Malay settlements Sibu, Sarawak-- earlier this afternoon.

There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities at this point, according to the Sibu Fire and Rescue Department.

It is estimated that between 40 to over 100 houses were destroyed by the fire.

Sibu zone fire chief senior superintendent I Abdul Mutalib Rashid said the fire, which was reported at 4pm, was extinguished by 7 pm today.

At 10 pm, firefighters were still on the scene to sweep through the remains and ensure that the fire was really doused.

"We are still investigating the cause of the fire. So far, we know that a large area house, about 10,000metres2, was affected, " Abdul Mutalib told Astro AWANI.

"The fire spread very quickly because the wooden houses were very close to each other. This was on top of the heat and strong coastal winds," said Abdul Mutalib.

According to a Bernama report, Kampung Dato village chief Hussain Abdul Rasit said that about 600 victims have been shifted to a school hall at a nearby village.

Sibu district police chief ACP Shafie Ismail said that the fire is believed to have come from a single house.