The Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (YSHHB) School evacuated its morning session students and cancelled its afternoon religious school classes yesterday after a bushfire broke out in the forest behind the school's primary school block building.

In an interview, Awang Alimas bin Haji Mohd Ali, Acting Principal of the YSHHB Primary School, said that the first step they carried out was to shut the school's electricity as the bushfire was razing nearby one of the electrical substations.

"The fire began at 11am and was controlled in half an hour after the fire and rescue personnel arrived. The fire and rescue personnel happened to be around the area handling another bushfire that sparked at 9am. We cancelled the afternoon religious school classes today just in case the bushfire sparks up again," he said.

He said that the primary school and secondary school students were evacuated as a precautionary step in the event the bushfire spreads to nearby buildings and to prevent asthma attacks for asthmatic students.

"We then told the teachers to text the parents and guardians of primary school students through WhatsApp and we also posted a notification on the school's newly launched Skoolbag app, telling parents that their children were evacuated from school for safety and health reasons," he noted.

The students were gathered together at the school's concourse as an assembly point so their parents can easily locate and fetch them. Vehicles owned by the teachers parked nearby the scene of the fire were moved and the area was blocked off by the school's security personnel.

When asked on how the school prepared for these incidents, Alimas said that the students and teachers have gone through fire drills conducted by the school, in addition, the YSHHB School sent a few teachers on fire marshal' courses during the school holidays last March.

The Berakas Fire Station and the Women's Operation Unit dispatched 11 fire and rescue personnel to handle the bushfires yesterday. Alimas stated that classes return to normal today and bushfires in the area will be monitored by fire and rescue personnel.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by BruDirect.com

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