SIPITANG: A house rented and used as an Islamic Community Centre in Kampung Long Pasia was destroyed in a fire at 1pm, last Thursday.
The property, owned by Davy Buayeh Tadam, was previously an Immigration office between the 1970s and 1990s before being converted into a community centre.
Resident Jeniffe Opai said the fire started on the upper floor of the building before spreading to the ground level.
“I saw the fire begin from the top floor and it quickly spread downstairs. The cause of the fire is still unknown,” she said.
Volunteer firefighters, military personnel, school staff, and villagers rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze.
“Fortunately, the volunteer firefighters, soldiers, school staff, and villagers worked together until the fire was completely put out,” she added.
Residents were reportedly in a state of panic as thick smoke engulfed the area, fearing the flames would spread to nearby houses.
However, the distance between homes prevented further damage.
No injuries were reported at the time of writing.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and the extent of losses is still being assessed.
This incident occurred shortly after the village had been affected by flooding.
“Our village was just hit by floods, and now we are facing another disaster,” Jeniffe said.
