SIBU: Firefighters successfully rescued a mother and her one-year-old daughter who were caught in their home during a fire at a two-storey shophouse in Lorong 2 Jalan Lanang this afternoon.

Sibu Zone 4 Fire and Rescue Department chief Andy Alie, reported that thick smoke prevented the pair using the stairs to escape.

He noted that other residents on the second floor managed to escape during the incident. The floor is home to factory workers from nearby areas.

“Two firefighters ascended to rescue the mother and daughter, escorting them down the stairs. Fortunately, neither of them was injured,” he told Bernama.

He added that the fire only affected the ground floor of the two-storey building, which housed a motorcycle shop that was completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the Sarawak Fire Operations Centre stated that upon receiving a call at 2.57 pm, operation teams from the Sibu Sentral Fire and Rescue Station and the Sungai Merah Fire and Rescue Station were dispatched to the scene.