KOTA KINABALU: Strong winds and torrential rain battered Tawau overnight, toppling structures, damaging homes and forcing several families to flee floodwaters.
Tawau Fire and Rescue Station chief Jemishin Ujin said firefighters received an emergency call at 8.35am Thursday (Nov 6) about flooding at Kampung Sungai Gading Batu 15, located some 29km from town.
He said a team of seven personnel, assisted by police and the Civil Defence Force (APM), was deployed to rescue stranded residents.
“Eight people from one family, including six children, were trapped by floodwaters. Our team evacuated them to safety, and they later sought shelter at relatives’ homes,” he said when contacted.
The operation ended at 11.20am after conditions were deemed safe.
Earlier, a midnight storm caused widespread damage across Tawau, including the collapse of the town’s iconic landmark structure along Jalan Traulsen and the destruction of five rooftops in Kampung Batu 2.
Jemishin said another emergency call was received at 3.11am regarding a collapsed stilt house at Kampung Hidayat, about 8km from town.
“A team of six personnel was sent to the location. Upon arrival, they found a wooden house built over water had completely collapsed, injuring a man in his leg,” he said.
The victim was given initial treatment by APM personnel before being sent to hospital for further care.
Residents living near the site were advised to temporarily vacate their homes as a safety precaution.
The storm, which struck at around 11.30pm Wednesday (Nov 5), also uprooted trees and damaged light structures in several parts of Tawau. Local authorities have begun cleanup works and assessments in the affected areas.
Tawau, located on Sabah’s southeastern coast near the border with Indonesia’s North Kalimantan, is one of the state’s key urban centres and often experiences heavy rain during the northeast monsoon season.
