Serian: A 37-year-old woman was burnt to death, while her mother sustained second-degree burns, after a fire destroyed their home in Kampung Tubih Batu Raung, Serian, in the early hours of today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) identified the deceased as Nurul Farhana Amerudin. Her mother, Sharifah Bok Wan Muhsin, 65, suffered burns to her face, neck, back, hands, and the soles of her feet.

The department reported receiving an emergency call about the incident at 12.29 am, which prompted firefighters from the Serian Fire and Rescue Station to be dispatched to the scene. The blaze engulfed a single-storey permanent house measuring 48 by 70 feet, destroying the structure.

"Two victims were involved in the fire. A 65-year-old woman sustained second-degree burns to her face, neck, back, hands, and the soles of her feet. She had been taken to Serian Hospital before the fire and rescue team arrived at the scene. Another victim, a 37-year-old woman, was found burnt to death in the bathroom of the house," the department said in a statement today.

JBPM said the victim's body was recovered in a joint operation involving the police and medical personnel from the Ministry of Health before being handed over to the police for further investigation. The cause of the fire and the estimated losses are still under investigation.