Kelantan family wades through floods to safety

 

Mohd Jakari Suaman, his wife Noor Mazilah Che Abdullah and their children at the Sungai Satan Kesedar hall. (Bernama pic)

JELI: A couple had to wade through neck-high floodwaters carrying their four children to save themselves after their home in Kampung Sungai Satan here was flooded yesterday.

Mohd Jakari Suaman, 30, and his wife Noor Mazilah Che Abdullah, 30, carried their four children, aged between two months and 10 years, from their house to higher ground at about 9am after floodwaters rose swiftly.

“The water rose thigh-high in the kitchen. We were worried that the incessant rain would cause the floodwaters to continue to rise.

“We immediately decided to move. My wife and I carried our children and waded through floodwaters for 200m to higher ground. After that, I asked for a friend’s help to send us to this relief centre,” he told Bernama when met at the Sungai Satan Kesedar hall here today.

Jakari said they had moved much of their belongings to higher ground earlier.

In Kuala Krai, residents living near the Sungai Kelantan here are on alert following the forecast of floods by the national flood forecasting and warning centre.

Grocery shop owner Rosnah Mat Zin, 60, from Kampung Tanjung Jalan Geale, said the level of Sungai Kelantan, located about 500m from her house, rose due to the continuous heavy rain.

Nur Izzatul Balqis, 26, from Kampung Batu Lada said she was taking the warnings seriously even though her house had never been hit by floods.

“I will remain vigilant, especially at night, because floodwaters can rise and enter the house very quickly,” she said.

Meanwhile, the number of flood victims in Kelantan dropped to 1,172 people from 367 families at mid-day today, compared to 1,399 people from 412 families this morning.

However, according to the social welfare department’s Info Bencana application, the number of relief centres in some places rose to 18 from 14 this morning — 10 in Kuala Krai, seven in Jeli and one in Tanah Merah.

Sungai Kelantan in Kampung Temangan, Machang, was reported to be at a dangerous level with a reading of 19.92m.

The public works department’s disaster management portal reported that Jalan Kuala Balah, Jeli, connecting the district with Dabong had been closed to all vehicles. - FMT