Shops Destroyed In Batu Bersurat Inferno
By Azlan Othman, James Kon and Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Six shophouses accommodating tyre and hardware shops and restaurants were destroyed in a fire on Sunday night in Kg. Batu Bersurat in Gadong.

Another three s hops in an adjoining building were also destroyed, while three cars parked near the shop houses went up in flames.

The Fire Services Department received a distress call at around 10.50 pm and sent 10 Fire engines and 50 personnel from Berakas, Central and Tumasek to the scene. The firefighters managed to putout the blaze in two hours. One person suffered a minor injury.

Dozens of curious onlookers parked their cars along the side of the Gadong road, while traffic police were present to ease the flow of traffic.

The loss is estimated to be hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the cause of the blaze is yet to be determined.

Yesterday morning, the site was still smouldering. forcing the firemen to continue to monitor the scene.

Firemen said they had to guard the site until yesterday noon as some of the destroyed shops housed combustible items such as gas and paint.

Traffic police were still in the area yesterday morning due to the massive traffic jam.

Some vehicles had been trying to enter the shopping area or pass the road on their way to another commercial zone in Pengkalan Gadong, a few metres from the scene of the fire.

The area is also heavily populated.

Eyewitnesses said the fire produced heavy, choking smoke and forced many to flee far away to be safe.

"It is one of the worst fires. The smoke was so thick that I had to run away after taking every photo," said a freelance media photographer. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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