A MASSIVE fire that tore through the water village of Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan early Sunday morning has affected 9,007 residents and destroyed almost 1,000 homes, prompting authorities to declare the area a disaster zone.
Sandakan district police chief Assistant Commissioner George Abd Rakman said police received the first report at about 1.30am, with the site officially declared a disaster area by 4am as the scale of destruction became clear.
“This area houses approximately 1,200 homes, and about 1,000 of them were affected, involving 9,007 victims,” he said when met by reporters at the scene.
He added that authorities are now focused on coordinating the registration of victims to facilitate relocation and the distribution of aid.
George also dismissed claims circulating on social media that the fire had resulted in fatalities.
“I stress that so far, I have not received any reports of loss of life.
“What happened may involve injuries sustained while trying to save belongings or assist others,” he said.
He said disaster management operations are being carried out in coordination with multiple agencies, including the Fire and Rescue Department as the incident commander and the Civil Defence Force.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Fire and Rescue Department.
However, early accounts from local residents suggest the fire may have started due to negligence.
Kampung Bahagia village head Sharif Hashim said the incident is believed to have begun at around 1.10am when a resident left cooking unattended.
“I was informed that the fire started from a resident who was cooking but left the stove for a while.
“When he returned, the food had dried up and the fire had already started. He tried to put it out using a cloth, but the cloth caught fire. Then he tried using wood, but the flames grew bigger and spread rapidly,” he said.
Sharif said the fire is believed to have originated in Lorong A before quickly spreading across the densely built settlement, affecting nearly 90 per cent of the village.
“This village has three main lanes and almost all were affected. It is estimated there are about 1,200 houses in Kampung Bahagia.
“So far, this is the worst fire ever to occur in this village, although there were previous incidents in 1993 and 2001,” said the 61-year-old, who has lived there since 1988.
He added that limited access to water sources significantly hampered firefighting efforts, as the area relies on open seawater rather than hydrants.
“We do have a water source, but not fire hydrants. That made it difficult to extinguish the fire when it was raging,” he said. - April 19, 2026
