LABUAN: A fire erupted at the Kampung Muslim refugee settlement, rendering 261 individuals from 42 families homeless as flames consumed 39 wooden squatter houses on this island. The blaze, which began around 10 a.m., was swiftly managed, preventing further destruction in the densely populated area.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Labuan Fire and Rescue Department received a distress call at 10:47 a.m. and quickly deployed firefighters to the scene. Abdul Rahman Ali, the department's director, stated that the fire was brought under control with the help of the local community. "We managed to put out the blaze in less than one hour, and there were no fatalities. The quick action of our firefighters saved hundreds of other wooden houses in the settlement," Rahman informed reporters at the site.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. This incident echoes a similar disaster in 2009 when a fire ravaged hundreds of homes in the same settlement, underscoring the vulnerability of the wooden structures to such incidents.

Bernama's observations revealed residents, including children and the elderly, collecting their belongings and seeking temporary accommodations as authorities coordinated relief efforts. National Security Council director Mohd Hafiez Daud, present at the scene, reported that emergency teams, along with local agencies such as the Social Welfare Department and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP), are actively providing aid and support to the displaced families. The settlement comprises 334 houses and is home to approximately 1,700 people.