Large fire destroys coastal village in Sandakan, Malaysia

A massive fire broke out early in the morning in a stilt-house village located in the Sandakan district of Sabah, Malaysia. Emergency services were alerted to the blaze at approximately 01:32 local time. A team of 37 firefighters was deployed to control the flames, which consumed an area spanning 40 hectares. The disaster resulted in the complete destruction of approximately 1,000 floating homes. According to Sandakan police chief George Abd Rahman, the fire impacted a total of 9,007 residents. Despite the significant scale of property damage, there have been no reported deaths or injuries. The affected area is primarily home to impoverished residents living in densely packed wooden structures.