Kinabatangan declared flood disaster area

KINABATANGAN (Apr 2): The Kinabatangan district was declared a flood disaster area at 4.45 pm on Wednesday due to continuous rain and rising river water levels to dangerous levels at the time.

The Sabah State Disaster Management Committee secretariat in a statement reported that so far, seven villages in the area have been affected by the floods, and a temporary relief centre (PPS) was opened at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Garam at 6 pm on Wednesay.

“Currently, the process of evacuating the victims is being carried out by the Civil Defence Force (APM), police and fire department,” said the statement.

The statement also said that the current water level readings are rising slowly, and Sabah Electricity has cut off the electricity supply to all flood-hit areas.

A Fire and Rescue Department team went to assess the flood situation at and conduct rescue operations where necessary. They found several houses affected by floodwaters. Rescue and inspection operations were immediately carried out.

No injuries or casualties have been reported so far.

Kinabatangan Civil Defence Force (APM) officer Captain Ahmad Roslan Mohd Kamel stated that while the situation is being closely monitored, no evacuations have been required at this stage.

“As of 1:30 pm, no evacuation has been conducted. Most residents in the area have their own boats, so they are not overly concerned,” he said.

He added that the weather is currently clear, and authorities remain on standby, continuing to monitor the situation while waiting for conditions to improve.