Fire razes 10‑door longhouse in remote Penan settlement in Ulu Baram

MIRI, Sept 20 — A 10-door longhouse in Kampung Long Jekitan, Ulu Baram, Marudi was completely destroyed in a fire yesterday.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) operation control centre said a distress call was received at about 2.50pm, following which the Marudi Police Station was immediately alerted.

It said initial information received indicated that the 10-door longhouse, which was a non-permanent structure, was completely destroyed by fire.

“As the incident location is relatively remote and is estimated to take about eight hours to reach via logging roads, the dispatched team from Marudi fire station would proceed to the location the following day, on September 20,” the department said.

Long Jekitan is a remote Penan Silat settlement located along Sungai Silat in the interior of Upper Baram, near the Indonesian border and east of the Usun Apau plateau. — The Borneo Post