3km walk in water for essentials

In dire straits: (Above) One of the houses submerged in floodwaters in Kampung Baru Jemari, Mersing. — Bernama

MERSING: Residents of Kampung Baru Jemari here were forced to wade through floodwaters for up to 3km to buy food after their main road was submerged.

Maszila Edal, 27, said the residents were allowed to leave the relief centre at SK Seri Mersing and Politeknik Mersing on Saturday after being housed there for five days.

“After leaving the relief centre at midday, the residents began returning to their houses in the village as the authorities reported that it was safe to do so.

“However, heavy rain returned Saturday evening and it only eased this (yesterday) morning,” she said when met by Bernama here yesterday.

Maszila said following the incident, about half the residents decided to wade through the waters, while others got into their own boats or the village headsman’s boat to get food from a nearby town.

Volunteers helping to ferry some essential items to the villagers using a boat. — Bernama

Meanwhile, Maszila’s sister, Fatin Syuhada Edal, 22, and her husband Abbil Haqim, 40, as well as their three-year-old child, were forced to sleep in their car along the roadside last night as they were unable to wade through the waters.

“After leaving the relief centre, our family went to look for things in Mersing town first. At night, we decided to head back to the village but we didn’t know that the main road had been cut off by the floods.

“So we resorted to sleeping in the car while awaiting the floodwaters to recede,” she said.

Fatin Syuhada said residents would wait for instructions from their village head and the authorities on whether they should move back to the relief centre.

“Actually, only two or three houses remain flooded, but all the residents are facing the problem of getting supplies due to the road’s inaccessibility,” she said.

Meanwhile, a Bernama survey at the location found that while rain began slowing down at 11am yesterday, floodwaters on the main road did not show any signs of receding, with residents still seen wading along the road to get their supplies.