Kapit hit by floods after 24-hour downpour

Several locations in Kapit were inundated following more than 24 hours of incessant rain.

In the Kapit District since 8pm Tuesday, 25 families consisting of 84 individuals had to be evacuated from their homes to temporary shelter at the Kapit Indoor Stadium.

In Song District meanwhile, 15 families comprising 44 individuals have been evacuated to the SK Nanga Embuau school temporary shelter but were allowed to go back to their homes  at 4pm yesterday after the floodwaters affecting their homes subsided.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, visited the Kapit Indoor Stadium yesterday morning to monitor the preparation by various agencies to face the floods there.

Meanwhile, several places in Belaga, Murum, Telang Usan, Marudi, Beluru and Subis were also flooded yesterday morning, as the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) kept a close watch on the situation and water levels of rivers in the areas.

Several locations along Sungai Belaga were also affected by floods following non-stop rain for two days.

The affected areas there were SK Long Urun, Uma Pawa, Uma Kulit, Sungai Asap, Uma Sambop and Long Semutut, according to updates from SDMC as of yesterday morning.

In Telang Usan, several locations including longhouses and villages were also affected.

However, according to reports from the Miri District Civil Defence Force officer Usman Harto, no evacuations were carried out at 10 affected locations as of 10am yesterday.

Several locations in Marudi, Beluru and Subis were also flooded.

In Marudi and Beluru, the affected locations were several schools, longhouses, villages, the Ulu Teru Clinic, and the Lubok Nibong old market.

In Subis, only one longhouse was affected – the 45-door Rh Akit Anggat, Nanga Mejam near Sg Merusa in Suai Niah. According to a report from Usman, only the access road to the longhouse was under three feet of water as of 10am yesterday.

Meanwhile, as of 2.30pm yesterday, Sibu District Civil Defence Force officer Frankie John Jawan reported that the flood situation in Dudong near Lanang in Sibu was slowly subsiding.

He said water levels near  the coastal areas in Sg Assan, and Rh Charles Igat longhouse have completely subsided while in Sg Assan main road and Kampung Kedada/Rh Gerinsam main road, the water levels were slowly going down. — Borneo Post