Pitas, Kota Marudu latest districts to be hit by floods in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: Pitas and Kota Marudu are the latest districts being hit by floods, with 79 people from 21 families, being evacuated to three temporary relief centres (PPS) in Pitas, while rescue operations are still being carried out in Kota Marudu, as of this morning.

A total of 87 people, from 20 families, were evacuated in two PPS in Paitan, bringing the number of those affected by the flooding in Sabah this morning to 166 people from 41 families, compared with 65 people from 16 families, reported last night.

Two PPS in the Paitan district, namely Dewan Kampung Kubambangan, currently housing 38 evacuees from 10 families, while 49 people from 10 families are placed at Dewan Kampung Batangon Darat.

The other three PPS in Pitas are the Kampung Sinasak Batu village chief's house, currently housing 18 people from six families; the Kampung Sibuang surau, housing 38 people from nine families and 23 people from six families placed at the Dewan Kampung Kusilad.

"The flooding occurred following continuous heavy rain starting yesterday morning. The number of displaced flood evacuees is expected to increase," said the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat in a statement today.

In the meantime, Kota Marudu district officer Alexander Yong said the district natural disaster operations room has been opened from 3 am today, while the disaster operations control centre (PKOB) has also been activated.

Alexander, who is also the district Natural Disaster (Flood) Committee chairman, said that on-scene command posts (PKTK) had been instructed to carry out rescue operations in the field.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a continuous heavy rain warning for several districts, involving the west coast of the state, Sandakan and Kudat, as well as rain in one or two places in the interior and Tawau.

-- BERNAMA