KOTA KINABALU – The number of flood evacuees in Sabah has increased to 895 people this morning, compared with 836 last night.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department in a statement today said heavy rain in the state is expected to last until today.
Torrential and scattered rain since January 11 has forced hundreds of people in nine Sabah districts to evacuate, and affected hundreds of thousands of others.
Although the rain has stopped as of this morning, 230 villages remain flooded. Cloudy skies indicate that rainfall is likely to continue later today.
A total of 142 people are housed at the evacuation centre in Beaufort, 48 in Paitan, 101 in Kota Kinabalu, 49 in Putatan, 68 in Penampang, 264 in Kota Belud, 106 in Tuaran, 41 in Papar and 75 people in Tenom.
State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun yesterday said health standard operating procedures will be enforced at all 16 active evacuation centres, following concerns of Covid-19 spreading among the evacuees.
Sabah has been experiencing bad weather conditions, including an irregular high-tide phenomenon that caused rough tidal waves in several coastal areas in the state, over the past few weeks. – The Vibes, January 19, 2021
