TAWAU: The district has been declared a disaster zone following floods that affected several areas since late Friday.
The declaration was made at 8.30am yesterday by the District Disaster Management Committee amid continuous rain and concerns over rising water levels.
The Civil Defence Force and Fire and Rescue Department are monitoring the situation on the ground, responding to distress calls and assisting with evacuation efforts.
Villagers had initially sought temporary shelter on higher ground, including at mosques and relatives’ homes, after floodwaters inundated their houses.
Two relief centres have been opened, with the registration of evacuees underway.
As of 4pm yesterday, the number of evacuees had risen to almost 400 from 96 families.
The affected areas include Tanjung Batu Keramat, Taman Ria 1, Taman Hot Spring, Taman Sunshu and Taman Sri Balung.
In MELAKA, a four-month-old baby boy was among three family members rescued from their flooded home after hours of heavy rain triggered flash floods in two districts.
State Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Mohd Hafidzatullah Rashid said firefighters from the Tangga Batu station rushed to Kampung Lereh in Tanjung Kling after receiving an emergency call at 9.47am yesterday about residents trapped by floodwaters.
He said the rescue team found three people inside the house – a 37-year-old man, a 36-year-old woman and an infant.
“They have been brought to safety,” he added.
Melaka Civil Defence Force director Kamarulsyah Muslim, who is also the secretariat of the Melaka Disaster Management Committee, said continuous heavy rain that began at around 1am had triggered flash floods in several areas in the Melaka Tengah and Jasin districts.
The affected areas are Kampung Lereh, Peringgit, Kampung Bachang, Kampung Kolam Limbongan, Tengkera, Bukit Rambai, Tanjung Kling and Pengkalan Perigi, Kampung Pulai, Kampung Serkam and Kampung Bukit Tembakau.
As of 3pm yesterday, 15 victims had been relocated to two flood relief centres.
