TAWAU: A flood disaster was declared in Tawau on Saturday after continuous heavy rain for about nine hours from 2am coincided with high tide, inundating villages, housing areas, plantations and roads.
District Disaster Management Committee chairman and Tawau Municipal Council President Mohd Shoffian Mohd Said declared the disaster at 8.30am following reports from relevant agencies.
As of noon, 53 people from Kampung Tanjung Batu Keramat and Kampung Mandar Batu 2, Jalan Apas, had been evacuated to the temporary relief centre at the Tawau Sports Complex.
Flooding affected areas from Takada to Batu 15, Jalan Apas, as well as Jalan Tanjung Batu, Jalan Kuhara, Jalan Chong Thien Vun, Jalan Sin On, Jalan Air Panas, Jalan Utara and Balung.
The flooding also caused severe traffic congestion on major roads, including routes linking the town centre and Tawau Airport, while police, the Fire and Rescue Department, the Civil Defence Force and Sabah Electricity carried out response operations.
