Fire destroys 1,000 ‘stilt’ homes in Malaysia’s Sabah, displacing thousands

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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.

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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.

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.

Ruins of houses following a fire that destroyed about 1,000 homes in a coastal village in Sandakan, Malaysia, 19 April 2026. Photograph: Reuters

The Sabah fire and rescue department said it was notified of the incident at about 1.30am (5.30pm 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% 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.

An aerial view of Kampung Bahagia water village after a fire in Sandakan on Malaysia's Borneo island. Photograph: Malaysia’s Sandakan Fire and Rescue Department/AFP/Getty Images

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.