KOTA KINABALU – Heavy rain is causing flooding and landslides in many parts of Sabah’s west coasts, trapping vehicles on some of the major thoroughfares.
The Vibes has reliably learnt that floods, which have already hit some parts of Beaufort and Sipitang, have also hit Penampang, Papar, Kota Belud, Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu.
Kota Kinabalu City Hall activated the Natural Disaster Control Centre at 5pm to deal with the situation.
The Local Government and Housing Ministry meanwhile noted that all 25 Sabah districts have activated their disaster control rooms due to the bad weather.
Netizens living around urban districts including Penampang, Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu have been posting photos of the floods on their social media accounts.
Images of vehicles trying to navigate foot-deep waters and those getting stranded are being shared via social media as thousands of urban workers rush home ahead of the weekend.
Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd in a social media update announced power outages in many areas in Putatan, Penampang and Kota Belud, affecting tens of thousands of residents in the three districts.
Heavy rainfall from late afternoon till night-time has become a regular occurrence in the state over the past week.
Yesterday, Sipitang and Beaufort, which were the districts earliest hit by the floods, saw their local rivers rise to dangerous levels.
Some five families from Kg Suasa, Lumadan, had to be rescued by the Civil Defence Force and firemen, while in Sipitang, two families from Kg Masjid Pantai were rescued from the deluge.
The Vibes has contacted the several local district offices and was told they are still assessing the situation.
A video of a vehicle being swept away by a strong river current while crossing an inundated bridge in Inanam has been widely shared on social media, Penampang locals report a landslide and Keningau residents are seeing road damages.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a storm alert around 2.55pm in most parts of the Sabah west coast, and parts of Tawau, Kunak, Lahad Datu, Sandakan, Tongod and Kinabatangan. – The Vibes, September 3, 2021
