Overnight flood catches residents by surprise

Photo: Bernama

SEGAMAT: Residents of Buloh Kasap did not expect their area to be flooded despite continuous heavy rain since last Monday.

Siti Idayu Abdul Ghani, 44, said floods hardly occurred during the end of February or the beginning of March.

She said the continuous heavy rain had caused the area around her house in Kampung Kuala Paya near here to be flooded on Saturday.

“My house was not flooded on Friday afternoon.

“Still, my husband and I sent four of our children, aged 12 to 17, to the temporary relief centre at Balai Raya Kuala Paya and returned home after that.

“But water started entering the house at about 4am on Saturday and kept rising,” she told Bernama when met at the relief centre.

Siti Idayu and her husband were among the flood victims rescued by members of the Bandar Baru Segamat Fire and Rescue Department.

Buloh Kasap village chief Nor Rafizan A. Rahman said most residents did not expect the water to rise so quickly overnight.

“We understand that there was a crack in the bund in Spang Loi which caused water to quickly rise in this area, so I instructed all the surrounding residents to evacuate on Friday night,” he said.

Nor Rafizan added that Jalan Kuala Paya-Balai Badang was also flooded, which caused residents in Spang Loi, Serakek, Padang Kiambang and Kampung Jawa to be cut off.