BINTULU, June 2 — A fire dampened the joyous celebration of the Gawai Festival for 325 longhouse residents in Nanga Sigu, Pandan, Sebauh, about 147 kilometres from here early today.

A Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre spokesman said the 43-door Rumah Ugop Anak Umpin longhouse, situated in the interior, was razed.

The department received a call about the blaze at 12.41 am and a team from the Bintulu Fire and Rescue Station was dispatched to the scene.

"No casualties were reported. The Post-Incident One-Stop Centre (PSPI) was opened to collect information from every longhouse resident. It is proposed for the victims to be placed at SK Kuala Sigu, which is 300 metres away,” the spokesman said in a statement today.

He added that the cause of the incident and the losses incurred are still under investigation. — Bernama