Flash floods hits Tringkap after hour-long downpour

IPOH: Flash floods hit about ten houses in Tringkap, Cameron Highlands, after a one-hour heavy downpour.

Tanah Rata assemblyman Ho Chi Yang said the water level started rising at about 7.15pm on Wednesday (May 22) at Kampung Baru Tringkap.

He said that the water level was above the knee level in certain parts of the village.

“The residents were allowed to return to their houses, except for one family who decided to stay at a relative’s house as a precaution.

“There was flooding at the same village in December last year,” he said when contacted on Wednesday.

Ho said several government agencies, such as Rela, the volunteer firefighters, and local non-governmental organisations, helped clean the area once the rain had stopped.

Cameron Highlands OCPD Deputy Supt Azri Ramli said the water receded at about 7.46pm.

Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president A. Dilip Martin said the rain started at about 4pm and ended about 7.45pm.

"This is what I feared. The eco-tourism project in Tringkap poses a danger to the town's residents," he said.

"If the earthwork there starts, it will worsen," he added.

Dilip Martin warned on Sunday (May 19) about disasters striking the highlands after several high-risk forested areas were cleared for development.

"I ask the Pahang state government and the Environment Department to look into the matter seriously," he added.