Fire destroys 1,000 Malaysian homes

Emergency services were notified of the fire in the Sandakan district in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Over 9,000 residents have been affected by the disaster, with many losing all of their possessions.

Relief efforts are currently focused on providing food, shelter, and medical aid to the displaced families.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which spread rapidly across the community of stilt homes.

The incident has highlighted the vulnerability of such coastal settlements to large-scale blazes.