FLOODS IN PENAMPANG THE WORST EVER - RESIDENTS

PENAMPANG, July 2 (Bernama) -- The floods in Penampang, which have caused extensive property damage and claimed one life, have been described as the worst in the district’s history.

Nicholas Yap, 68, a retired oil and gas worker, said he was born in Kampung Dabak here and has lived there all his life but has never experienced such severe flooding before.

“This is the worst flood in our history. There have been floods in the past, but none have been as destructive as this one. We didn’t have time to save our belongings. Fortunately, my child and I managed to escape with the villagers.

“The water got into our homes so fast that even the nearby St Michael school was submerged. None of us in the village expected the flood to be this bad,” he told Bernama.

Yap said he and other villagers had to quickly evacuate with the help of rescuers when they realised that the water levels were rising. He hoped that once the floodwaters receded, the villagers would receive the assistance they needed.

This morning, a total of 464 people from 140 families were housed in four relief centres in the affected districts of Penampang, Putatan and Tuaran.

The number of evacuees at the Penampang Cultural Hall increased to 279 people from 93 families compared to 165 people from 67 families yesterday, while the body of a 37-year-old woman was found believed to have been swept away by floodwaters.

Ainner Lindy Angus, 27, a supermarket staff, said the floods in Penampang were totally different this time due to the much stronger currents, causing the water to rise rapidly.

“That night, we heard the villagers shouting for us to leave our homes. I saw the water coming in very quickly, so I grabbed my two children and, together with my husband, we ran out of the house without being able to save any belongings. Within less than 10 minutes, the water had already entered our home,” said Ainner, who lives in Kampung Tuavon.

She added that most of the flood victims in the area belong to the B40 group, and as such, the loss of property due to the flood significantly impacted their lives.

Esther Gabriel, 14, a student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan St Michael, said she did not have time to save her books and school supplies when her riverside home was suddenly flooded without any warning.

“The river rose suddenly, and the current was very strong. I only managed to grab some important documents and a few clothes before my father hurried us out of the house. We ran to higher ground at the church and watched helplessly as our house was flooded,” she said.

The girl was also shocked to see her school covered in mud after the floodwaters started to recede and hoped there would be assistance to clean and restore the school.

Meanwhile, Penampang district officer Francis Chong said the highest floodwater level was at 10.05 metres, recorded at 10.28 pm Sunday, but has since decreased to around eight metres.

The District Disaster Management Committee chairman said almost all villages and areas in Penampang were impacted by the floods, but the situation is showing signs of improvement this afternoon.

“The disaster may have been caused by heavy rain in the upper Penampang area on Sunday afternoon, which caused Sungai Moyog to overflow. The flood came suddenly and very quickly,” he said.

He added that they have set up a secure area at the Penampang Cultural Hall relief centre, equipped with basic necessities for flood victims, and urged affected residents to comply with the authorities’ instructions and evacuate immediately from hazardous areas.

-- BERNAMA