Dedicated hotline for natural disasters can reduce response time

Firefighters cutting branches of a tree which fell following strong winds and heavy rain in Miri. —Photos courtesy of the Fire and Rescue Department.

MIRI: There is a need for the authorities to set up a specific hotline in every district in Sarawak to handle emergency calls from the public for natural disasters.

Presently, residents affected by natural disasters face delays in getting help and believe a centralised system can help speed up assistance for victims.

Housewife Adeline Yen from Bakam said a road to her house was badly damaged by soil erosion on Saturday and Sunday following a heavy downpour.

“The road to my village was flooded during the heavy rain and I did not realise a portion of the road had collapsed.

“My car almost veered into the collapsed section. Other villagers also faced the same risk.

The roof of a house at Rumah Minggu Lating in Julau district was blown off during the storm on the weekend.

“I called the various enforcement agencies and they told me that road problems can only be repaired by the Public Works Department (JKR).

“But when I called JKR, no one answered the call because no one was working on the weekend,” she said.

Yen said only the Fire and Rescue Department and police were reachable via their respective hotlines but they do not have the tools and skills to repair roads.

“There should be a natural disaster hotline in every district,” she said.

The Star forwarded her concern to Sarawak Assistant Tourism Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin, who is Sarawak United Peoples Party Miri parliamentary liaison chief.

Lee immediately alerted the Miri JKR engineer.

The storm also caused flash floods in various parts of Kuala Baram and Miri city.

“The JKR engineer sent men to check the damaged road,” he said.

Lee agreed on the need to facilitate swift response to natural disaster emergencies especially with the monsoon season fast approaching.

Strong winds and heavy rain battered the coastal shores of northern Sarawak over the weekend and uprooted big trees in Miri city.

Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence personnel had to clear fallen trees that blocked roads and highways.

Miri Fire and Rescue Department chief Supt Law Poh Kiong said there were also flash floods in various parts of Kuala Baram district, Miri city and the city’s outskirts.