LABUAN – A rare tidal wave phenomenon has hit the water and coastal villages here, destroying popular floating seafood restaurant Anjung Ketam Nagalang in its wake.
Ali Buah, the eatery’s 62-year-old owner, said 3m-high waves crashed against the building and its wooden walkway on Tuesday night, causing damage estimated to be at least RM100,000.
“That was at 8pm, and it happened in the blink of an eye. We have not experienced such massive waves before.
“We could only watch and do nothing when waves struck the extended restaurant structure, and washed ashore the broken pieces of the wooden walkway,” he said when met at the scene today.
Ali has temporarily closed the restaurant, located 12km from the town centre, for repairs.
Labuan Corporation Valuation, Investment and Asset Management Department director Gilbert Chin said emergency repair works on the walkway will commence soon, involving an allocation of about RM50, 000.
Thousands of residents in water villages of Kg Bebuloh Laut and Patau-Patau 1 and 2 panicked when strong waves and rising water threatened to inundate their homes on Tuesday night.
The waters submerged more than 30 concrete and wooden bridges in the villages. – Bernama, January 15, 2021
