Over 400 left homeless after predawn fire razes 90 houses in Sandakan

KOTA KINABALU: More than 400 people were left homeless when a predawn fire razed 90 wooden stilt houses at a village in Sabah's east coast Sandakan district on Monday (March 6).

No casualties were reported in the 3am fire at the sprawling squatter village of Kg Cenderamata in the Batu Sapi area.

Sandakan Zone 6 Fire and Rescue Services Department chief Jasri Abd Jal said the fire spread rapidly through the wooden houses in the water village.

He said that despite low water pressure, firemen were able to bring the blaze under control and keep it from spreading to other houses within the village.

There are over 200 houses there.

"We could not use sea water as it was low tide then," he said, adding that the darkness and tightly-packed houses made it more difficult for them to stop the fire from spreading.

He said the fire was brought under control at 4.53am before fully being extinguished by 7.48am.

The cause has yet to be ascertained, with most victims unable to salvage their valuables and belongings.

Sandakan OCPD Asst Comm Abd Fuad Abd Malek said the victims will be given temporary shelter in the Batu Sapi's People's Housing Programme (PPR) area.