SIBU: A total of four shoplots in a seven-decade-old shophouse in Pasar Pulau Babi here were engulfed in flames in the wee hours of today (March 12).
A mobile phone shop was initially the only location affected by the incident, which took place in a two-storey building near Sibu Night Market, before it spread to the building adjacent to it.
State Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Zone 4 chief Andy Alie said after receiving a distress call at 2.28am, a team of firefighters from Sibu and Sungai Merah fire stations were deployed to the scene.
“The fire is believed to have started from a shop selling mobile phones.
“When the team arrived at the location, the fire was raging and had already spread to the adjacent building,” he said in a statement today.
Andy noted that the fire involved five lots at the front and five lots at the back of the building, comprising 16 shops in total.
“Lots 2, 3, 4, and 5 were completely destroyed, while lot 7 suffered 10 per cent damage,” he said.
There were no casualties reported, and the cause of the fire as well as the estimated losses are still under investigation.
