James Kon

Thirty-nine Bangladeshis were rendered homeless after the house they were staying at in Kampong Mulaut was destroyed by a blaze in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

According to the Fire and Rescue Department, a distress call was received at 2.19am. Three fire engines with 11 firefighters from the Jerudong Fire Station and Pengkalan Batu Fire Station were dispatched.

The upper floor of the two-storey house was made of wood, while the lower floor was concrete.

Acting Senior Superintendent Haji Nordin bin Haji Buntan led firefighters in dousing the fire in five minutes. All residents escaped unscathed. The cause of the fire is believed to be an overloading of electricity wiring system and old wiring. Estimated cost of damage to the house stands at BND80,000, while damages to vehicles stood at BND19,500.

The Fire and Rescue Department reminds the public to make sure electrical usage is not overloaded, to not leave heating devices unattended, to switch off electrical appliances, and for homes to be equipped with fire extinguishers, fire blanket or smoke detectors.