Azizah interacting with one of the flood victims at the temporary relief centre in Beaufort
BEAUFORT: As of 9pm, the number of victims in Beaufort district stood at 1,233 from 442 families placed in relief centres, followed by Membakut (332 victims)(112 families), Tenom (249) (42) and Sipitang (60) (13).
Beaufort District officer Mohd Shahid Othman said rain was still pouring in the district, whereas the water level in Sungai Padas as of 6pm was still above the danger zone at 9.32 metres.
Tenom district officer Madiyem Layapin said that the current water level of Sungai Padas in Tenom was 177.42m, also above the danger zone.
Madiyem also said that two relief centres in the district had been closed yesterday, which were the Dewan Antanom and Rumah Kebudayaan Ponontomon.
Some 706 people from 28 villages affected by floods were evacuated to the temporary relief centre at the new community hall here yesterday.
According to the District Natural Disaster Relief Committee, the victims comprised 122 men, 225 women, 302 children, 46 infants, 10 senior citizens and one disabled person from 243 families.
The number of flood victims at Binsulok has increased to 324 people from 269 on Tuesday.
As of 4pm yesterday, the water level at the Padas River here had exceeded the danger limit at 9.38 metres, compared to 9.24 metres on Tuesday.
Another temporary relief centre has been opened at SK Pekan Beaufort and the Disaster Relief Committee is expected to use the community hall at Kampung Kukut as a relief centre if the flood situation there worsens.
Eight roads here have also been flooded, namely in-front of the Shell station at Beaufort town centre, Jln Melulugus, Jln Jempanga – St.John, Jln Kg Lawa, Jln Bukau, Jln Luagan, Jln Limbang and Jln Lintas Pekan in front of the court house.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, after visiting the relief centre, assured flood victims here, in Membakut, Sipitang and Tenom of government aid to ease their burden.
“Our main focus is to ensure that all forms of aid are more than adequate to meet the needs of every victim placed in relief centres.
“Special camps are also provided for women to change clothes and breastfeed their infants,” she said.
She was accompanied by Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environmental Development Datuk Kamarlin Ombi, who is also Lumadan assemblyman, and District Officer Shaid Othman.
Azizah, who is also the member of parliament here, said her ministry would improve the standard operating procedure (SOP) after the flooding, particularly involving assets and needs.
“This effort is to ensure that all assistance involving applications, such as versatile portable tents, including ‘partitions’ are sufficient for all flood victims throughout the country,” she said.
Earlier, Azizah also inspected the flood situation at Binsulor, and surveyed the distribution of assistance to flood victims who are putting up at the Binsulor Multi-Purpose Hall relief centre, and also met with victims at relief centres in Membakut.
On Tuesday, State Education Director Datuk Jamie Alip said about 3,000 students and teachers were affected after 14 schools were closed due to floods in the district, Membakut and Papar.