ALOR SETAR: The SOS mission resembled a lightning raid as 310 Malaysians stranded by floods in Hatyai were evacuated from the half-submerged town with the help of a Malaysian volunteer fire and rescue team on Tuesday (Nov 25) afternoon.
Sungai Petani Volunteer Fire Team chairman, Leong Beng Tat, said they were all transported on three trailer trucks to the town of Danok, about an hour from Hatyai in clear weather, near the Malaysia-Thailand border.
"All of them are being evacuated to Danok, but our journey is quite slow due to the large number of passengers and the road conditions, which are still flooded in several areas.
"After sending these Malaysians to Danok, the trailer lorry will return to Hatyai to pick up others. This round trip will take four hours," he said when contacted by Bernama here on Tuesday (Nov 25).
According to him, his volunteer team was inundated with more than 1,000 phone calls from desperate Malaysians requesting evacuation from the deluged township.
Leong stated that the flood situation in Hatyai remains critical, with water levels reaching chest height in some areas at 1.5m, making it difficult to rescue stranded Malaysians.
He said the mission to bring back Malaysians stranded in Hatyai would continue until completion, despite various challenges.
"We have 30 volunteers and brought with us 10 vehicles and eight boats. We will try to bring all those stranded out of Hatyai. Many cried out about not getting food, and we too feel sorry," he said.
He hoped the Malaysian government could take immediate action to expedite the evacuation process of Malaysians stranded in the town. – Bernama
