DONATION TO RUMAH USAH, ULU SEBAUH, BINTULU/SIBU ROAD, BINTULU

28 August 2011

Zone 7 Lions Clubs:  Our club has joint with Lions Club of Bintulu Host, Lions Club of Bintulu Kemena and Lions Club of Bintulu Mandarin to delivery and donate cooking gas stoves, cooking gas cylinders and rice to Rumah Usah.  Rumah Usah (38 pintu) was totally burnt down leaving 267 occupants homeless on the 17th August 2011. 

A view of part of the burnt down long house.

The occupants lost everything except for the clothes on their back and a few personal items.  The fire started at 8.00pm from Pintu 15 and spread through the rest of the long houses due to the strong wind.  The local power line (electricity) do not reach Rumah Usah.  The occupants rely on the generators for electricity.  It was believed that the fire started due to one faulty generator.  The Fire Brigade sent 2 fire trucks and 21 fire fighters to the long house.  Due to the distance from town and the poor road condition, by the time the fire fighters arrived, the fire has gone out of control.  The fire fighters has to pump water from nearby river to fight the fire.  With the strong wind and the furiousity of the fire, there is nothing can be done except for putting out the fire.  Many vehicles were burnt too. 

Temporary camps made from wood and canvas were built near the burnt down long  house. 

 Lion Soo (LC of Bintulu Host) and Lion Erich (LC of Bintulu Kidurong lending a hand unloading the cooking gas stoves for the villagers.