KUCHING, July 26 — State Reform Party (STAR) today called on the Ministry of Education to conduct an immediate investigation into a fire that killed a teacher and injured two others at a primary school in Baram in Miri Division two days ago.
Its president Lina Soo said the ministry must identify the cause of the fire that razed a teachers’ quarters of SK Batu Bungan in the wee hours, killing 25-year old Catherine Janet Tiwi.
“The ministry must implement high standards of school fire prevention and fire-fighting systems to safeguard the lives of students and teachers,” she told reporters here today.
She said the ministry must also identify schools which could be potential death traps for both the teachers and students in the event of a fire break-out.
“Many dilapidated schools in rural Sarawak could be the death traps as well as health hazards to the teachers and students,” Soo said.
Janet was reported to have been trapped inside the burning teachers’ quarters while attempting to rescue the two teachers.
The two teachers managed to escape from the fire, despite suffering from burns.
Janet, a teacher from SK Penghulu Baya Mallang in Apoh also in Baram, was among a group of teachers who attended school camp activities at SK Batu Bungan.
