BEAUFORT: Flooding has displaced 619 families comprising 1,829 individuals across evacuation centres here with more expected as registration continues at the evacuation centre (PPS) Dewan Kg Kukut.
District Police Chief Supt Wong Leong Meng said the evacuees are distributed across multiple centres. Islam Membakut 231 families (705 people).
Emergency personnel from various agencies have been deployed, including police, fire and rescue, civil defence, welfare services, healthcare workers, armed forces and local administrative staff.
The flooding has affected 14 villages in Membakut following continuous heavy rainfall since last Friday in Keningau, Tenom, and Nabawan, which caused the Padas River to rise.
Both Beaufort and Membakut district officers declared flood disasters, activating evacuation centres beginning Friday afternoon.
Current weather conditions have improved with clear skies reported this morning. Water levels are stable in Beaufort and decreasing in Membakut. The collapsed bridge across Pamalan river in Keningau.
In KENINGAU, a second wave of flash floods within a month left a trail of destruction across villages and forcing authorities to declare a disaster situation.
The flooding Saturday night affected the same areas that were hit in early February. The floods has damaged infrastructure, homes and personal belongings in 15 villages.
District Officer Peter Jonu Moinjil has officially declared a flood disaster through the District Disaster Management Committee. This declaration has activated both the Disaster Operations Control Centre and the Scene Control Centre to coordinate relief efforts.
“The flooding has affected 15 villages including Kampung Senagang, Kauran, Batu 27, Kadalakan, Bandukan, Takad, Minansut, Keritan, Lingawon, Gasabon, Ria, Pampang, Taman Khong Lok, Taman Seri and Lingkudau,” said Peter, who chairs the committee.
Authorities have established two Temporary Evacuation Centres at the Keningau Community Hall and Dato Angian Andulag Apin-Apin Hall. However, only residents from four villages have been moved to these centres.
“We are only evacuating those in urgent situations,” Peter said.
“Many residents have chosen to stay with nearby family members while waiting for floodwaters to recede. The exact number of evacuated families will be announced after the General Welfare Services Department completes its assessment,” he added.
A Daily Express survey revealed infrastructure damage throughout the affected areas.
The Pamalan river bridge and the Tuarid-Dangulad road have collapsed, severely disrupting daily activities for local residents.
In Kampung Ria, one home suffered extensive kitchen damage after riverbank erosion caused part of the structure to collapse. The powerful floodwaters swept away all kitchen items, including a refrigerator.
“The incident happened around 11pm,” said Anlie Dairis, sibling of the homeowner.
“My sister Arni was on high alert because of the heavy rain and rising water levels, but we never expected the destruction to happen so quickly. We could only watch helplessly as our belongings were carried away by the current,” she said.
A petrol station and a nearby church have been flooded for the second time within a month, along with several homes in residential areas and villages that are once again dealing with flood damage.
Meanwhile, a second landslide was reported along the Keningau-Kimanis Road at Km11.2 at 4pm on Sunday and prompted the Public Works Department to close the route to all vehicles.
This comes while clean-up operations are still ongoing for a previous landslide at KM 14.3 of the same road.
Officials from the Public Works Department recommend drivers use the Kota Kinabalu-Keningau-Tenom route as an alternative. Peter said clearing operations for this latest landslide are expected to take two weeks.