Hundreds of people have been displaced after a fire destroyed about 200 homes in a coastal village in Malaysia’s Sabah state, the state news agency Bernama reported. Authorities were notified of the fire in Sandakan district at about 1.32am on Sunday ( , Saturday), the district’s fire and rescue chief, Jimmy Lagung, was quoted as saying. The fire broke out in one of Sabah’s water villages, which feature wooden houses built on stilts and are home to some of the country’s poorest communities, including many stateless and indigenous groups.
About 445 people have been displaced so far, Bernama said, citing unofficial figures of people registered at a temporary relief centre in Sandakan. Datuk Walter Kenson, head of the Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee, said examination of the village found the homes of the affected residents “are no longer safe to live in”. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the federal government was coordinating with Sabah authorities to provide basic assistance and temporary relocation for those affected.
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