Landslide: Jalan Tun Sardon Closed Until Further Notice

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- Jalan Tun Sardon (Bukit Baru) near here, which was supposed to be opened to traffic at 6 pm today, will remain closed to all vehicles until further notice.

Penang Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said this was following six new landslides recorded between early morning and 12 pm today.

"The Public Works Department (JKR) technical team has been deployed to the sites to conduct further investigations.

"Cleanup works that began yesterday have been temporarily halted due to the continued heavy rainfall,” he said in a statement today.

He added that for safety reasons, state road P14, which is Jalan Tun Sardon, would remain closed until further notice, and advised all road users to plan their journeys accordingly.

The media had previously reported that the main road connecting Paya Terubong to Balik Pulau would be closed from 6 pm on Thursday (Oct 23) to 6 pm today due to the landslide that occurred there following continuous heavy rain since early Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Force (APM) in Penang is deploying 100 personnel to assist in monitoring flood hotspots in the state.

State APM director Col (PA) Lokman Hakim Abdul Rahman said the floods occurring in Penang currently are due to the convergence of high tides and heavy rainfall, thus forcing many people to be evacuated to temporary relief centres.

"The personnel will monitor the hotspots, such as rivers that have flood monitoring telemetry stations from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) because the sirens here will go off if the water exceeds the danger level.

"We will also monitor villages listed as flood hotspots or experienced floods before. If we go by districts, there are many hotspots. For example, Pulau Betong in Balik Pulau is on the list, while in Seberang Perai, areas like Labuh Banting, Lahar Yooi and Guar Perahu are also on the list,” he told reporters when met at the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tan Sri Awang Had Salleh temporary relief centre here today.

As of 11.30 pm, the Social Welfare Department (JKM) Infobencana website said that 1,029 flood victims are sheltering at seven relief centres that had been opened in three districts - four in Seberang Perai Utara, two in Seberang Perai Tengah and one in the Southwest.

-- BERNAMA