A fire in Sabah, Malaysia, damages 200 homes and displaces hundreds more people.

State news agency Bernama said that hundreds of people have had to leave their homes since a fire burnt about 200 homes in a coastal town in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Sunday.

Around 1:32 a.m. (1732 GMT), the district’s fire and rescue chief, Jimmy Lagung, told Bernama that the authorities had been told about the incident in Sandakan.

Lagung told Bernama that “strong winds and the closeness of the houses made the fire spread quickly, and low tide conditions also made it hard to find an open water source.”

The fire started in one of Sabah’s water villages, which are made up of wooden dwellings erected on stilts. These villages are home to some of the poorest people in the country, including several stateless and indigenous groups.

According to unofficial numbers from residents who signed up at a temporary relief center in Sandakan, some 445 people have had to leave their homes so far, Bernama said.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia announced that the federal government was working with the authorities in Sabah to help people who were affected by the disaster by giving them basic help and moving them temporarily.He wrote on Facebook that the victims’ safety and getting help right away are the most important things right now.