KOTA KINABALU: Sabah central Telupid district has been declared a flood disaster area following continuous heavy rains and river levels rising to dangerous levels.
Telupid District Disaster Management Committee chairman Celestine Jetony made the declaration at 1pm Wednesday (Feb 26).
"Based on the reports and information on the ground received from the agencies, we have decided to place the district as a flood disaster," he said in a statement.
Four temporary relief centres were also opened to accommodate flood-affected victims - at Kg Maau, the Kg Nangoh Plancangan and Kg Bambangan community halls as well at the Kampung Gana Jati old mosque.
He said affected residents will be moved to the centres immediately as an inspection of the general area found that it was unsafe to remain in their houses.
The number of victims was not immediately available.
Meanwhile, Civil Defence Force (APM) personnel were also monitoring Sabah's northern Pitas, where flash floods were reported.
However, the situation where several roads were flooded but still remained passable to traffic, did not warrant any immediate evacuations.
A minor landslide blocked off the Ranau-Tambunan in interior Sabah earlier Wednesday, but it was cleared by the Public Works Department.
