Fire destroys 200 homes in Sabah coastal village, displaces 445

Strong winds and closely spaced wooden structures enabled rapid spread in Malaysian water village.

A fire destroyed approximately 200 homes in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state early Sunday, displacing about 445 people, according to state news agency Bernama¹. Authorities were notified of the fire in Sandakan district at about 1:32 a.m. local time on Sunday¹.

The blaze occurred in one of Sabah's water villages, where wooden houses are built on stilts¹². Jimmy Lagung, the district's fire and rescue chief, said strong winds and the close proximity of the houses caused the fire to spread rapidly¹. Low tide conditions also made it difficult to obtain an open water source, Lagung said¹.

These water villages are home to some of the country's poorest communities, including many stateless and indigenous groups¹. The fire took place in Kampung Bahagia².

The number of displaced people cited was based on unofficial figures of those registered at a temporary relief centre in Sandakan¹. Datuk Walter Kenson, head of the Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee, was reported examining the affected village¹.