By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, July 14: Visitors planning a trip to Niah Cave are advised to postpone their visit until it is safe to do so following a fire at Niah National Park yesterday (July 13), which Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said was a natural phenomenon and not caused by human negligence or carelessness.
He said the fire, believed to have been triggered by lightning, was an unfortunate incident beyond human control.
“As long as the fire was not caused by human actions, these are natural phenomena that we have to face somehow or another,” he told reporters after the Borneo Raft Safari League 2026 press conference at Baitul Makmur II here today.
Abdul Karim said he had been informed that the Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) had temporarily closed Niah National Park following the fire at the limestone hill area.
He expressed hope that the blaze would not spread to other parts of the park or cause further damage to the forest and Sarawak’s natural heritage.
He added that fires in equatorial forests are generally confined to a limited area and are less likely to develop into widespread wildfires seen in temperate countries such as the United States and parts of Europe.
“We hope SFC, with assistance from the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba), will be able to contain the situation and prevent greater damage,” he said.
To those who had already planned a visit to Niah Cave, he urged them to monitor the latest updates and postpone their trip until conditions are safe.
“We’re very sorry. This is an unfortunate incident, but it was not caused by negligence or carelessness on the part of anyone on the ground. It is simply a natural phenomenon,” he said.
The fire at Niah National Park occurred yesterday (July 13) after Batu Niah firefighters received a call at approximately 1.55pm. The blaze was reported at two separate locations near Traders Cave and Kuala Hangus, which forms part of Gua Besar. — DayakDaily
