Chief minister Hajiji Noor went to the site this morning to survey the area and meet victims at the Dewan PPR Batu Sapi evacuation centre.

Hajiji said each head of household received RM1,000 in special aid from the state government and another RM1,000 from Yayasan Kebajikan Sabah.

“We hope this assistance will help ease their burden at this time,” he said in a statement, adding that a full report on the actual number of victims was expected within one to two weeks.

The chief minister said his administration was looking at several proposals to redevelop the area to build new homes for the victims, including the possibility of land reclamation despite the costs involved.

Hajiji said he would wait for the Sandakan disaster management committee to submit its report on the incident and the Sandakan municipal council’s recommendations before taking the next step.

Over 9,000 residents were displaced after about 1,000 houses were razed in the fire. Six relief centres were opened to house the victims.

Sandakan municipal council president Walter Kenson said inspections found the affected residential areas unsafe for occupation, while the council declared the incident a disaster.

No one died in the incident.