High tides and floods force 39 residents to evacuate

Sand invasion: Rohani Hasan, 51, and her children recovering their things after waves carry sand into their home along Pantai Kundor. – Bernama

KOTA BARU: Thirty-nine residents at Kampung Pantai Kundor here were evacuated to a relief centre due to floods caused by high tides.

Civil defence officer Mohd Safi­yan Ibrahim said the villagers were relocated to the centre at SK Pulau Kundor after the floods rose up to about 2m at 11.45pm on Monday.

He said eight civil defence personnel and 11 firemen monitored the situation from a command centre, adding that the high tides were due to El Nino as cautioned by the Meteorological Department.

He said vehicles were also on standby in the area in case students needed to be evacuated.

Pengkalan Chepa Umno division chief Datuk Zaluzi Sulaiman visited the command and relief centres to assist the victims.

Villager Mohd Azmi Ramli, 34, said he was instructed to move out from his home when the flood wa­­ters started to rise on Monday night.

He said his family members were taken to the centre on a fire engine.