Villagers in northern S’wak ready to evacuate as rivers overflow

MIRI – Floods have inundated numerous populated villages in Sibuti in northern Sarawak, in the second time in the past three weeks that the district has been hit by high waters.

This comes after an intense downpour that got worse last night and went on until early morning. 

Authorities involved in rescue operations are on standby to evacuate thousands of rural folk as rivers at critical levels are overflowing. 

The last time the people here saw such immense floods was on December 13. The district is located about 40 km from Miri city.

Miri Civil Defence Force chief Mirwan Shah Masri said the floodwaters reached about a metre at noon today in the worst-affected areas.

These included Kg Kejapil, Kg Subak, and Kg Opak.

“Our teams are on the ground checking on the latest situation,” he said in an update. 

"Heavy rain since last night and the king tide overflowing from Sg Sibuti worsened the situation.

“We have advised affected villagers to be ready for evacuation if the waters continue rising,” he added. 

Northern Sarawak is still in the midst of the “landas” rainy season, as it is known locally, the equivalent of the monsoon that brings heavy rain almost daily. – The Vibes, January 4, 2023