Thousands of people have been displaced after a fire destroyed around 1,000 homes in a coastal village in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island on Sunday (April 19), the fire department said.

Drone footage from the scene showed thick black smoke covering the area as fire engulfed the settlement.

Authorities were notified of the fire in Sandakan district at around 01:32 a.m. (1732 GMT), the district's fire and rescue chief Jimmy Lagung said in a statement.

“Strong winds and the close proximity of the houses caused the fire to spread rapidly, while low tide conditions also made it difficult to obtain an open water source,” Lagung said.

The fire broke out in one of Sabah's water villages, which consist of wooden houses built on stilts and are home to some of the country's poorest communities, including many stateless and indigenous groups.

Over 9,000 residents have been affected by the fire though no deaths have been reported, Sandakan police said, according to state news agency Bernama.

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.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SABAH, MALAYSIA (APRIL 19, 2026) (BALAI BOMBA SANDAKAN - Must on screen courtesy Balai Bomba Sandakan) (MUTE)

1. DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING FIRE BURNING A SETTLEMENT, BLACK SMOKE RISING FROM THE AREA

2. VARIOUS OF DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING SMOKE BILLOWING FROM CHARRED SETTLEMENT

3. VARIOUS OF DRONE FOOTAGE SHOWING DAMAGE LEFT BY THE FIRE

4. STILL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING FIRE BURNING AND BLACK SMOKE RISING

5. STILL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING DESTROYED SETTLEMENT, SMOKE RISING

6. VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWING DESTROYED SETTLEMENT