Fires Destroy Two Homes In the Capital

Bandar Seri Begawan – Fire gutted two houses in separate instances within 12 hours last night in the Brunei capital.

On Saturday night, fire razed a two-storey rented house at Simpang 684 in Kampong Sungai Matan, at Jalan Kota Batu.

Four fire tenders from the Bandar Seri Began Fire Station, three from Berakas and another from Muara rushed to the scene on receipt of the distress call at 9.03pm

The firemen took about 11 minutes to contain the blaze from spreading to nearby houses.

According to firemen the house that belonged to Pengiran Mohamad Haris bin Pengiran Muhamad who rented the house to Syarikat Perkhidmatan Pembersih a cleaning service company which had 20 Indonesian and two Filipino workers living there.

The tenants also disclosed they had been without electricity for the past two months.

Nearby neighbours said they were shocked to see smoke coming from the upper floor of the building.

All the tenants were at work when the fire occurred.

The mishap also damaged a van belonging to the company.

The Brunei-Muara District Officer, Dato Haji Harun and several other government officers visited the burnt out home.

There were no reports of injuries.

The cause of the fire and lost of property are being ascertained.

Meanwhile, a blaze at Jalan Surapit in Kampong Jaya Bakti, Berakas, destroyed another rented house belonging to Dayang Hajah Normah binti Hamid.

No one was at home when the fire broke out at about 11.08am yesterday.

According to witnesses, the fire seemed to have started from an electrical short circuit in the living room.

The house has been rented out for about a year.

The firemen were successful in preventing the blaze from gutting the entire building.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei 

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