Some of the displaced villagers in Pitas.
KOTA KINABALU: Continuous downpour in Sabah’s interior areas over the past two days resulted in the displacement of over a thousand people.
Those affected by far were in Pitas, Paitan and Kota Marudu districts.
In Pitas, a total of 19 villages were hit by floods with a total of 784 people from 259 families being forced to evacuate on Friday (Jan 17) while many villagers including those from Kg Sinukab remained trapped in their homes as access roads there were blocked due to floods.
As of Saturday (Jan 18), a total of seven temporary shelters were opened up to house the flood victims, namely SK Pekan 2 for 254 villagers from 99 families, SK Salimpodon Darat for 24 families comprising 70 people and Kg Lugu community hall housing 66 people from 21 families.
Next is the Kg Kusilad Hall for 81 people from 20 households, Sonsogon house in Kg Sosop Bai for 11 people, Kg Mandamai cultural house for 54 people from 23 families and Sk Dandun housing 272 victims from 68 households, making the total victims at 784 people from 259 families.
Villages affected include Kg Tambilidon, Kg Layang, Sk Pandan Mendamai, Kg Rukom, Kg Sibaung, Kg Saab, Kg Kemiri, Kg Bawang, Kg Masin Kecil, Kg Sinasak Batu, Kg Sinasak Tanjung, Kg Ranggu, Kg.Pinggan-pinggan, Sk Nibang, Kg Salimpodon Darat, Kg Lugu, Kg sosop Bai, Kg Kusilad and Kg Pondoi.
In Paitan, three temporary shelters - Paitan Community Centre, Kg Simpangan mosque and Sk Lubang Buaya - have been opened up for some 61 villagers from 17 families thus far.
According to the Civil Defence Force, the numbers could rise or fall because there are still many who have yet to reach the shelters, and that registrations of victims as well as evacuation were still being carried out.
However, the situation has improved with floodwaters receding in many villages in these three districts.
The shelter in SMK Bengkongan in Kota Marudu was closed at 2pm today as all 17 victims from six families were allowed to return home following improved weather.
It was earlier reported that some 10,000 villagers were affected by the floods in these districts. There were no reports of casualties or deaths from the floods.
