KUCHING, March 8: Three shophouses along Jalan Ewe Hai, connected to Jalan Carpenter here have been completely destroyed in a fire today, while two other adjacent buildings suffered 20 per cent damage to their structure.
One vehicle parked outside the affected buildings was also destroyed.
The shophouses are believed to be some of the oldest heritage buildings in the area, which is considered by many to be the oldest street in the city, with some temples there dating back to the 1880s.
No casualties have been reported thus far.
Bomba Padungan responded swiftly to the location after receiving a call from Malaysia Emergency Rescue Services (EMRS) 999 at 1.40pm. — DayakDaily
According to Bomba Sarawak deputy director Tiong Ling Hii, the flame spread quickly due to the lack of building partitions on the affected structures.
“The flame spread through the ceiling and roof to both sides from the main unit that caught on fire.
“However, we were able to bring the fire under control at 2.40pm, which is an hour after the fire broke out, because our initial action was delayed due to our machinery being unable to pass through the road as vehicles were parked on the roadside,” he told reporters when met at the scene. — DayakDaily
