A fire in Malaysia’s Sabah state on Borneo island has destroyed around 1,000 homes and left thousands displaced, the fire department has stated.

The blaze broke out in the early hours of Sunday in one of Sabah’s water villages, where the public live in closely-packed wooden houses built on stilts.

The local police chief mentioned 9,000 residents had been affected, but no deaths and injuries have been reported.

Narrow access paths reportedly made it difficult for the emergency services to reach the affected area, while strong winds fanned the flames as the fire raged.

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