KOTA KINABALU: Two northern districts in Sabah, Kota Marudu and Paitan, have been placed on flood alert following heavy overnight rainfall.
The district offices of both districts activated their respective Disaster Management Operations Centres as of 11am on Tuesday (March 10) and identified several flood hotspots in their areas.
This is the second flood incident in the Paitan district, which is still recovering from severe floods two weeks ago that saw more than 3,000 people evacuated.
Kota Marudu district officer Meirin Sugara announced a flood disaster at 10am on Tuesday, stating that they had received field reports of flooding in several areas and were mobilizing to provide assistance and conduct rescue operations.
Paitan district officer Joloning Joe Majambu made a similar declaration at 11am on Tuesday.
No details of the affected areas in either district have been released.
The Malaysia Meteorological Department has forecast continuous rain over Sabah for 48 hours starting Tuesday (March 10).
According to the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, floods are likely to occur in several river basins, particularly in low-lying areas prone to rising waters.
In the Sandakan district, rivers at risk include Sungai Sendala, Sungai Seguntor, Sungai Segaliud, Sungai Semawang, Sungai Manila, Sungai Kolapis/Muanod, and Sungai Labuk, while in the Kudat district, potential flooding is forecast in the basins of Sungai Tegarangan, Sungai Loro, and Sungai Indrasan.
Residents living near rivers and in low-lying areas have been advised to remain vigilant and follow instructions from the authorities if weather or flood conditions change.
The public is also encouraged to obtain the latest flood information via the official website, publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my, or the MyPublicInfoBanjir application.
