Sandakan fire and rescue station chief Jimmy Lagung said the blaze engulfed an area of more than 4ha, with low tide conditions hampering efforts to secure an adequate open water source for firefighting operations, Bernama reported.

“Besides seawater, firefighting operations utilised water from a tanker and pressurised hydrant belonging to a factory. Four hose lines stretching 300m and 12 water jets were used to extinguish the fire.

“A fire rescue tender (FRT) from the Kinabatangan station also assisted in the operation, deploying two hose lines measuring 120m with four water jets,” he said in a statement.

Jimmy said the firefighting operation concluded at noon, and no casualties were reported.

Sandakan municipal council president Walter Kenson said inspections found the affected residential areas unsafe for occupation, and that the council had made a disaster declaration over the incident.

He said a second relief centre was opened at Sekolah Kebangsaan Gas  in Sandakan at 11am, in addition to the centre at the Batu Sapi People’s Housing Project hall that was opened at 7am.

Meanwhile, Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister Mustapha Sakmud described the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy that has saddened the entire country.

Mustapha said all Malaysians share the pain felt by the Kampung Bahagia residents.

“Imagine, in a single night, there were children who lost their shelter, parents who lost all their possessions, and families who were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

“This is not just a fire, it is a humanitarian tragedy that destroyed nearly 1,000 homes and affected thousands of residents in the blink of an eye,” he said in a statement today.

Mustapha said Putrajaya and the Sabah state government will ensure that all assistance is delivered as quickly as possible, while recovery efforts are carried out with full commitment.