Urgent repairs underway as floods, landslides claim 13 lives, displace thousands in Sabah

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 17: Urgent emergency works are being carried out in several districts of Sabah to reopen road connectivity and restore critical infrastructure damaged by floods and landslides that have so far claimed 13 lives, while forcing 2,897 people from 813 families across 107 villages to evacuate.

Minister of Works Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Public Works Department (JKR) Sabah has been mobilised to conduct immediate assessments and implement swift interventions to ensure public safety and accessibility.

“Emergency works include opening of temporary routes, installing warning signboards, and clearing debris at cut-off sections. Our priority is to make sure affected communities can regain safe access as quickly as possible,” he said in a statement shared on his social media on Tuesday (Sept 16).

He added that high-risk slopes are being closely monitored with the support of geotechnical experts to minimise the risk of further incidents, while the Ministry of Works (KKR) is working in close collaboration with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA), local authorities and security forces for coordinated relief and recovery operations.

Nanta also extended his condolences to the families of the victims of the landslides and floods, noting that the disaster is among the most severe to strike Sabah in recent years.

“I urge the public to obey authority directives, avoid closed roads, and report any road, slope, or bridge damage through the MYJalan application so that action can be taken immediately,” he said.

The federal government, he assured, remains committed to accelerating recovery works so that normalcy can return to the daily lives of affected Sabahans.

“Let us all pray together that this disaster will soon subside and that Sabah will recover,” he urged.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced yesterday that RM10 million would be distributed to flood victims in Sabah through NADMA.

These funds were on top of some RM11 million channelled through the Sabah government. — DayakDaily

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