Authorities were alerted to the blaze in Sandakan at around 1:32 a.m. on Sunday (17:32 GMT, Saturday), the district’s fire and rescue chief, Jimmy Lagung, said.
Hundreds of people have been displaced after a fire destroyed about 200 homes in a coastal village in Sabah, Malaysia, according to the state news agency Bernama.
Authorities were alerted to the blaze in Sandakan at around 1:32 a.m. on Sunday (17:32 GMT, Saturday), the district’s fire and rescue chief, Jimmy Lagung, said.
He explained that strong winds and the close spacing of the houses caused the fire to spread quickly, while low tide conditions made it difficult to access water to fight the flames.
The fire broke out in one of Sabah’s water villages communities of wooden houses built on stilts often home to some of the country’s poorest residents, including many stateless and indigenous people.
About 445 people have been displaced so far, according to Bernama, citing unofficial figures from those registered at a temporary relief centre in Sandakan.
Walter Kenson, head of the Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee, said inspections showed that the affected homes are no longer safe to live in.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, said the federal government is working with Sabah authorities to provide basic aid and temporary shelter for those affected.
“The priority now is the safety of the victims and immediate assistance on the ground,” he said in a Facebook post.
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