MIRI (Oct 22): SMK Lawas has been ordered to close for up to seven days following a late-night fire that razed its science and administrative blocks. The Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) issued the closure order for safety reasons and to facilitate investigations into the incident.
Students arriving at the school this morning were seen gathering in an open area, some sheltering under umbrellas, before being instructed to return home.
Bomba received an emergency call at 11.36pm and dispatched a team from the Lawas fire station, located just 1.6km away. Upon arrival, the operations commander reported that two semi-permanent blocks, including the administrative block (180 x 40 square feet) and the science block (45 x 20 square feet), were fully engulfed in flames.
The 17-member firefighting team battled the blaze using four nozzles, with water sourced from the fire engine. However, the operation was hindered by the lack of nearby water sources. The fire was successfully contained by 1.23am, with final extinguishing efforts concluding at 4.35am.
In addition to the firefighters, six police officers, five members of the Civil Defence Force, and six Sesco personnel were present at the scene. No injuries have been reported, and authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.