KUCHING: When Tia Chiak says the floods in Kuching this time were huge, you must take her word for it.
The grandmother of Kampung Bratan, Batu 17, Jalan Puncak Borneo, knows best.
She is 82.
Tia said her house was badly hit by the floods over the weekend, and she and her family were forced to move to the Kampung Bratan/Asah multipurpose hall.
“We have been living here (Kampung Bratan) for a long time but even though our house has been flooded before, it was never this bad. This time, the floodwaters rose very high,” she said.
Tia said all her possessions were damaged, as well as her grandchildren’s books and school paraphernalia which could not be saved as the floodwaters rose too fast.
Kampung Bratan Village Development and Security Committee treasurer, Aloysious Kuyong, said 179 people from 32 families were evacuated. However, he said, all the victims returned to their homes by noon today after the floodwaters receded.
Kampung Bratan is among the villages along Jalan Puncak Borneo which were flooded. Other villages badly affected were Kampung Giam, Kampung Semadang, Kampung Danu, Kampung Giit and Kampung Nyiru.
Besides the floods, landslides also occurred in Kampung Punau on Saturday, causing many vehicles to be stranded and electric poles to be felled.
A suspension bridge in Kampung Semadang at Km40 Jalan Puncak Borneo was damaged due to strong river currents.
Many motorists were stranded at the Kampung Giam bridge at Km36 Jalan Puncak Borneo due to floodwaters.
Assistant Minister of Public Health and Bengoh assemblyman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil said the Bengoh Dam was overflowing due to the continuous heavy rain. — BERNAMA