Floods and winds wreak havoc in Perak and Terengganu

Storm casualty: Azizah picking up one of her rabbits that had died during the storm which ripped through bamboo sheds at the Cultural Village Carnival in Pantai Batu Buruk.

PETALING JAYA: The first signs of the monsoon season are here with heavy downpour, floods and landslides wreaking havoc in Pantai Remis in Perak and Batu Burok in Kuala Terengganu.

A total of 118 people from 31 families in four villages in Perak were forced to be evacuated following heavy rains and landslides.

In Terengganu, a severe thunderstorm blew canopies and bamboo sheds off a beachside cultural village at Batu Buruk.

The thunderstorm forced events, held at the beachside early yesterday morning and sche­duled to end tomorrow, to be cancelled.

Traders from as far as Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Pahang, who were selling their products under the canopies and in their bamboo sheds, were seen trying to hold on to their canopies and items, as the storm tore through.

Azizah Rasip, 26, from Pahang, a pet trader at the 2015 Cultural Village Carnival at Pantai Batu Buruk, was distraught after discovering that two of her Lionhead rabbits, which cost about RM500 each, had died while several others were missing after the cages holding them were blown away.

Hasnan Hassan from Kuala Lumpur, a 52-year-old fruit pickle trader, said this was one of the worst storms he had experienced, leaving him over RM700 poorer.

“All of a sudden, things and canopies were flying. One by one, the bamboo sheds started collapsing. Some people ran off, trying to save themselves from getting hurt while others held on to canopies.

“Things happened so fast. It was horrifying. All I could think of was to take shelter as I was worried about my safety,” he said.

The early morning thunderstorm also damaged the ceiling of the porch at the TH Hotel in Gong Badak here.

In Kampung Sungai Batu in Pantai Remis, a downpour at 6pm on Wednesday left a house damaged when a tree fell on it.

Three other houses were also damaged but no one was hurt.

Pantai Remis Fire and Rescue Department Superintendent Amir Ahmad said the affected villages were Kampung Tebuk Yan, Kampung Nelayan Sungai Batu Pantai Tin, Kampung Sungai Batu and Kampung Parit Merican.

A total of 118 people from 31 families from the four villages, have been evacuated to the Kampung Sungai Batu and Kampung Nelayan Sungai Batu Pantai Tin community halls.

The three-hour downpour caused the nearby river to overflow, resulting in flash floods, landslides and uprooting of trees.

Operations to evacuate the flood victims, beginning 6pm on Wednesday continued early yesterday morning.

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