Fleeing the rising waters: Anuar’s family and his wheelchair-bound father-in-law evacuating from Kampung Pinang Merah, Paka. — Bernama
PAKA: The worsening flood conditions and rapidly rising water levels in Kampung Pinang Merah in Terengganu have forced families to take swift action to ensure their safety.
Anuar Ahmad, 48, had to wade through waist-deep water for about 100m in the rain, carrying his wheelchair-bound 83-year-old father-in-law, Abdul Ghani, to the car and evacuating him along with his family members to the temporary relief centre (PPS) at SK Kampung Nyior, located about 3km from their home.
“The water began rising at 9.30pm and increased rapidly, which was unusual. We started packing our things at 7pm after receiving a high tide warning.
“My father-in-law suffers from gout and is paralysed. We requested to stay on the ground floor at the PPS to make it easier for him,” he told Bernama.
Anuar said they had remained vigilant as his father-in-law’s house, where he lives with his wife, Zaharah Jusoh, 75, had previously been flooded up to chest level.
A check at the location last night revealed that several areas, especially villages near Sungai Paka, were flooded waist-deep due to yesterday’s high tide phenomenon in Terengganu.
Resident Mohd Lafi Mohamad, 59, whose family made early preparations to evacuate, said the high tide this time was unusual and the water level began to rise rapidly after evening prayers.
“Kampung Pinang Merah is located near Sungai Paka, with around 200 to 300 houses. We are familiar with flooding, but this time we are more concerned due to the reported dangerous river levels,” he said.
In JERTIH, a man had to swim 1km through floodwaters to get food after the pickup truck he was driving got stranded for nearly 10 hours due to high water levels on an alternative route in Kampung Padang Luas.
Mohamad Syafiq Sulaiman, 31, who runs a transport business, said around 4.50pm last Friday, he and his two friends were on their way back to Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, after delivering a customer’s motorcycle in Lata Tembakah.
“Our attempt to make a U-turn was pointless because the main road we had taken earlier was flooded due to heavy rain,” he said when met at the Kampung Padang Tapong PPS.
