KOTA KINABALU: Two primary school pupils were among 20 individuals rescued by the Fire and Rescue Services Department after floodwaters rose in several areas following hours of continuous rainfall here on Friday (Nov 29).
According to Senior Assistant Fire Commander Mohd Ishak Amran, a team of three was dispatched to Sekolah Kebangsaan Kibabaig in Penampang after a distress call was received at 6.09pm.
"We received a report that the two pupils, who are siblings, were stranded at the school. We sent a team to rescue them. They were later reunited with their mother. The operation concluded at 6.47pm," he said.
Meanwhile, fire personnel rescued 14 people from three families at Taman Kolombong after receiving a distress call at 4.58pm.
"The victims, aged two to 53, are currently staying at relatives' homes. The operation ended at 6.15pm," Mohd Ishak added.
In another incident, two families were rescued from submerged houses.
One family consisted of a 46-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter, while the other comprised a 37-year-old woman and her six-year-old daughter.
"In the operation, which lasted over an hour and concluded at 4.55pm, we rescued the man and his daughter first, before moving on to the next family," he said.
Both families are now staying with relatives.
Mohd Ishak also mentioned that fire stations have been placed on standby to continue monitoring the flood situation.
The heavy rain, which began around noon, caused water levels to rise across several districts in Sabah.
