Fire razes 1,000 'stilt' homes in Malaysia's Sabah, thousands displaced

Kuala Lumpur: A huge fire destroyed about 1,000 makeshift homes, many of them built on stilts over water, and displaced thousands of people in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state on Sunday, authorities said.

The blaze broke out early on Sunday morning in a "water village" in Sandakan district in Sabah's northeast, where some of Malaysia's poorest residents, including indigenous and stateless communities, live in closely packed, wooden stilt houses. 

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Sandakan  police chief George Abd Rakman was quoted by local English daily The Star as saying that the "very large-scale and heartbreaking incident" affected 9,007 residents.

The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department said it was notified of the incident at around 1:32 am (1732 GMT Saturday) and deployed 37 personnel from two stations to battle the fire. 

"... the fire involved an estimated 1,000 temporary floating homes with a total area of 10 acres and 100 percent burnt," the department said in a statement.

Narrow access routes prevented fire engines from reaching the site, it said.

"Low sea tide also made it difficult for firefighters to get access to an open water source," the department's statement said, while strong wind also fuelled the flames. 

No injuries or fatalities were reported, it said, adding that "there is no more danger".

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the federal government was coordinating with Sabah authorities to provide assistance and temporary accommodation for those affected as soon as possible.

"The priority now is the safety of victims and immediate assistance on the ground," Anwar said in a Facebook post.