THAT SINKING FEELING: The teacher’s quarters where Haliff was doing his laundry.
SELANGAU: Three teachers of SK Nanga Kua here escaped unscathed when the back portion of their quarters collapsed Monday night.
The three male teachers had just retired to their respective rooms when the part of the slope on which the quarters was built slipped, bringing down the kitchen, bathroom and toilet at 10.15pm.
One of them, Haliff Irwan Hassan, 28, said when he heard rumbling noises from the back of the quarters, he immediately alerted his colleagues.
“No sooner had I informed them then the portion collapsed,” he recalled.
Haliff had every reason to thank his lucky star he escaped injury or even death as an hour before the incident he was doing laundry in the bathroom.
Haliff, who hails from Johor, has been teaching in the school for the last three years.
Meanwhile, Tamin assemblyman Joseph Mauh Ikeh, Selangau District Officer Wan Akil Wan Muhamad Bujang and Selangau District Education Officer Limok Shem visited the quarters yesterday.
Mauh, who was the headmaster of the school from 1978 to 1982, said he would discuss with the Education Department to relocate the teachers’ quarters which are located on a flood prone site near the banks of the river Kua to safer ground.
Incessant rain over the past few days could trigger more landslides and the river could burst its banks anytime.
SK Nanga Kua is not the only school in the area that is subjected to frequent flood and danger of landslides.
Mauh said he had brought up with the State Cabinet the issue of relocating SK Nanga Pelugau, SK St Mark and SK Nanga Tajam which are also located in high risk areas.
Mauh also reminded all tuai rumah in flood-prone areas in his constituency such as in lower Balingian, Mukah, Oya and Tamin, to follow orders from the authority and evacuate their longhouses if there was a danger of flooding.
According to him, heavy rain usually fall between October and February in the area and Selangau would be on alert for flood during the period.
Five evacuation centres have been set up in case of flood and they are at St Charle’s Church, SJKC Tong Ah, Balai Sadia, SMK Ulu Balingian and Skuau multi-purpose hall.
“The army will help in providing boats for evacuation and the Health Department will standby in case of emergency,” he said.
Mauh disclosed that RM30,000 had been allocated to Selangau Division Natural Disaster Fund.