SANDAKAN: The Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee has declared the Kampung Nunuyan Laut fire a disaster and activated an evacuation centre at Masjid Al Fattah after 28 water village houses were destroyed early Wednesday.
Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS) president and Sandakan District Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Walter Kenson said the relief centre was officially opened at 10am after ground assessments confirmed the affected homes were unsafe for occupation.
Sandakan Fire and Rescue station chief Jimmy said an emergency call was received via the NG999 line at 3.50am, with responders arriving at the scene at 5.25am with boat assistance from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
The operation, which utilised seawater through a 300-foot hose line, brought the blaze under control by 5.45am and successfully saved 162 nearby houses from destruction.
Strong winds reportedly caused the fire to spread rapidly between the wooden stilt structures, with villagers noting that fishing boats were also destroyed in the incident.
The operation involved 10 personnel from the Sandakan Fire and Rescue station led by operations commander PBK I Alan Ayuh, alongside four MMEA personnel.
No casualties were reported, while the cause of the fire and total estimated losses remain under investigation.
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