Tenom Declared Flood, Landslide Disaster Zone

TENOM, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- The Tenom District Disaster Management Committee (JPBD) declared the district a flood and landslide disaster zone this afternoon.

Its chairman, District Officer Alexander Liew, made the declaration based on field reports detailing that five villages have been inundated and the water level of Sungai Padas has risen.

"Residents are advised to take precautionary measures," he said when contacted today. Tenom is an interior district of Sabah, located approximately 150 kilometres south of Kota Kinabalu.

A spokesman for the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee confirmed the five affected villages as Kampung Enubai, Kampung Ponontomon, Kampung Pantungon Saga, Kampung Tumantalik, and Kampung Pantongan Sapong.

"All roads in these villages and Jalan Bensilon are impassable to all types of vehicles," he said. The flooding was attributed to persistent heavy rain since Jan 1, which caused rivers to overflow into low-lying areas.

He said that two temporary relief centres (PPS) were opened this afternoon at Kampung Labut Satu and Kampung Ponontomon. The breakdown of the total number of evacuees is still being updated.

As of 1.20 pm today, Sungai Padas’ water level reached 176.79 metres, exceeding the warning level of 176.25 metres, showing an increasing trend.

Meanwhile, the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) stated in a release that heavy rain and strong river currents caused a bridge in Kampung Tilis to collapse, severing the connection along Jalan Kungkular-Tilis.

"The alternative route is an old logging road at Jalan SLDB. Furthermore, a landslide in Kampung Bakuku has cut off Jalan Ulu Tomani-Tinura, and there is no alternative route available," the department said.

In a related development in KOTA KINABALU, the PPS at the Al Munir Mosque Hall in Darau was officially closed at 5 pm this afternoon.

Kota Kinabalu Disaster Management Committee chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah, who is also the Mayor of Kota Kinabalu, said the closure was made after inspections confirmed that it was safe for the affected residents to return home. 

-- BERNAMA