KOTA KINABALU: As the murky waters of Sungai Kinabatangan crept higher, Maidah Koi knew she had no choice but to leave her house.
Battling illness and being unable to walk without assistance, the 57-year-old’s decision to evacuate was agonising.
A resident of Kampung Pengkalan Bukit Garam, Maidah had voluntarily relocated to the community hall before the floodwaters became unmanageable.
However, at that time, no official temporary evacuation centre had been set up, leaving her and a few others with little choice but to wait in hopes that the waters would recede.
But nature had other plans.
As the river swelled to dangerous levels, authorities launched an operation to rescue the victims.
Maidah was among those evacuated, but her struggles extended far beyond the flood.
She has been suffering from severe health complications for a while.
Prolonged antibiotic use has weakened her body, resulting in internal bleeding in her stomach and a lung infection.
Even the simplest movements are a painful ordeal.
She cannot walk unaided, and she relies on the kindness of neighbours and volunteers to help her through this crisis.
Despite her pain, she remained calm as rescuers lifted her into a boat, with water swirling around them.
Maidah was among 53 residents from 16 families displaced by the floods that hit two villages in Kinabatangan, with more expected to be affected.
Beyond Kinabatangan, the Sabah state flood disaster committee reported that as of 4pm yesterday, a total of 115 victims from 41 families were rescued from a village in Tongod.
This brings the current number of evacuees to 208 people from 57 families in the two remaining affected districts, down from thousands across 11 districts last week, thanks to improved weather conditions.
There have been no reported casualties.
Nine districts – Beaufort, Kota Marudu, Telupid, Sandakan, Kota Belud, Lahad Datu, Beluran, Paitan and Pitas – have since declared their flood evacuation centres closed.
