Flood forces mother, 21-day-old Baby To Evacuate

JASIN, March 6 (Bernama) -- A woman who is still in confinement was forced to wade through floodwaters with her 21-day-old baby girl after their home in Kampung Kilang Berapi was inundated, following more than three hours of continuous heavy rain this morning.

Nur Hijrah Jalaludin, 36, said she was alone with her baby when she saw water from a nearby river and retention pond begin to overflow into their yard around 8 am and immediately called her husband, who was at work, to return home.

"With my limited mobility, my only concern was for my baby's safety. About 30 minutes later, my husband arrived and I had to wade through floodwaters which had reached my calves to evacuate from my home," she said.

"This is the second flood in four months. The last time was in October when I was still pregnant, and we had to evacuate to a temporary relief centre (PPS)," she told reporters at the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Dang Anum relief centre in Merlimau today.

The mother of three said despite the challenges, especially during Ramadan, she was grateful that her family remained safe.

Meanwhile, Nur Shuhada Kasim, 29, said she had anticipated the flood as her family had faced a similar situation a few months ago.

She noticed the water rising slowly around 8 am and quickly evacuated her 69-year-old mother and two children to a relief centre.

Similarly, Suraya Unan, 54, who lives in Jasin, rushed back to assist her mother, who lives alone, to pack and save valuables upon learning that the area, including the homes of her siblings nearby, had started to flood.

"I was at work when I requested permission from my employer to leave and assist my mother, as my siblings were also dealing with the same situation. This area is prone to flooding, and this time, the water rose to knee level," she said.

As of 4 pm today, 225 people from 65 families have been evacuated to two relief centres in Jasin and one in Melaka Tengah after 34 areas were flooded following heavy rainfall since 5 am.

-- BERNAMA