In safe hands: Rescue personnel relocating villagers hit by heavy rain and floods.
KOTA KINABALU: A total of 251 people had to be evacuated to temporary disaster relief centres after continuous heavy rain triggered floods in three districts in Sabah.
Authorities have opened seven flood shelters in the northern districts of Kudat and Pitas and the remote Paitan area in the northeastern Beluran district since Tuesday.
The relevant district disaster control operations rooms were also activated simultaneously.
A Civil Defence Force spokesman said the authorities began receiving distress calls from villagers after water levels started to rise at 6pm at Kampung Sibaung in Pitas, followed by similar calls from other villagers.
The spokesman said 52 families had been moved to the seven shelters as at 11.30am yesterday.
Those displaced were sent to the Kampung Kubambangan and Kampung Batangon Darat halls in Paitan; the Sinasak Batu village head’s residence, Kampung Subiang surau and Kampung Kusilad hall in Pitas; and the Matunggong and SK Sikuati halls in Kudat.
Authorities were on standby to rescue and receive more people at the shelters, with reports saying there could be more victims in Paitan and Kudat.
