Floods wreak havoc in Sabah and Sarawak

Sarawak today closed three schools and is keeping a close watch on six others due to floods.

The State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kuala Kebulu, SK Kuala Sigu and SK Bukit Balai in the interior were closed, forcing 444 pupils to stay away.

“Besides the three schools, six other schools were also affected by the floods but they remain open,” it said in a statement.

It named these schools as SK Sungai Genaam, SK Bukit Mawang, SK Kuala Binyo, SK Long Bemang, SK Ng Balingiau and SK Ukong.

“These schools have a total enrollment of 435. The floods there are under control,” it said.

Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, incessant rain since midday yesterday caused floods in two districts that forced a suspension bridge to be washed away and 87 villagers to be evacuated.

Sabah Civil Defence Force director Col Mulliadi Al-Hamdi Ladin said in a statement today that the floods occurred in the Kota Belud and Papar districts and that the missing bridge had been in Kampung Botung Narinang in Kota Belud.

He said 37 people were evacuated from several villages in Kota Belud, and they were being accommodated at the Tun Said community hall.

He also said that 50 people were evacuated from two villages in Papar and were being housed at the Penampang Baru hall in Kimanis. Forty-seven of them were from Kampung Penampang Baru and three from Kampung Lingan Baru.

Mulliadi said the villages were struck by the floods yesterday following rain that continued right through the day to last night.

--Bernama