Sisters electrocuted while wading through floods

All hands on deck: Volunteers evacuating flood victims in Setiu district during a survey in Kampung Buluh Hilir in Terengganu. — Bernama

KOTA BARU: Three sisters died in a freak incident when they were electrocuted in front of a flooded house in Kampung Bendang Surau near Morak here.

The sisters, Noor Fathiah Mohd Nadzir, 27, Sakinah, 29, and Nurul Syazwani, 33, died at the scene of the incident at around 11.30am yesterday.

“All three victims were said to be wading through floodwaters in front of a house.

“One of the sisters slipped and grabbed a pillar and was electrocuted. Her sisters came to her aid but also succumbed to the same fate,” said Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun, Bernama reported.

He added that the remains of the sisters were brought to Hospital Tumpat for autopsy.

“Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has been informed to cut off electricity supply to the incident area and to carry out further action,” Muhamad Zaki said.

The victims’ mother, Zainun Sulaiman, 62, said she did not expect such a mishap to befall all three of her daughters.

Funeral arrangements would be made at the Kampung Morak Muslim Cemetery after the autopsies were completed, she said.

A neighbour, Che Zahiyah Che Yaakob, 53, said she had greeted them as they passed by her house, with Nor Syazwani replying that they were headed to the canal in front of her house.

Separately, TNB said 94 electricity substations in Kelantan were temporarily shut off in Kota Baru, Tanah Merah, Pasir Mas and Pasir Puteh following heavy rain and floods.

In a statement on its Facebook page, TNB said efforts were being made to ensure power supply in the affected areas would be restored in stages depending on local conditions.

“For Kelantan, five substations involved are in Kota Baru while eight are in Tanah Merah, 59 in Pasir Mas and 22 in Pasir Puteh,” it said.

TNB also reminded the people to be careful during heavy rain and to stay away from inundated electricity installations.

“The power supply will be cut from substations in areas as floods turn more serious,” it added.

In Pasir Mas, a 15-month-old boy drowned after falling into floodwaters in Kampung Gual Tok Deh.

Rantau Panjang fire station chief Shapawi Stapa said the boy was said to be playing with his elder sister at the porch of their house during the 1pm incident yesterday.

In Kuala Terengganu, six roads in the Setiu district that connect Terengganu and Kelantan had to be completely closed to all types of vehicles due to the worsening floods.

Terengganu police chief Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa said lack of heavy assets was one of the reasons assistance was slow to reach areas that had been cut off due to the flood situation.

He said temporary evacuation centres in Hulu Terengganu namely Pengkalan Ajil, Peneh and Lubuk were cut off and could not be accessed after the areas were flooded, adding that efforts to deliver assistance such as cooked meals could not be done because of the lack of heavy vehicles that could cross strong currents.