SANDAKAN: Food for 1,121 flood victims from 219 families cut off by floods was yesterday distributed in four villages in Telupid.
The chairman of the Telupid Flood Monitoring Control Centre (PKOB), Kamsah Sulaiman, said the food aid from the Social Welfare Department was doled out by rescue workers from the Fire and Rescue Services, Marine Police and the Civil Defence Department.
He said the workers sent food by boat to the villages of Kiabau, Buis, Ansuan and Baba after the areas were cut off due to submerged roads and damaged suspension bridges.
“Monitoring is ongoing in the villages as water has not subsided due to overflow from Sungai Labuk,” he said when contacted by Bernama.
Kamsah said three suspension bridges at the villages of Gambaron, Bauto and Barayong to cross Sungai Labuk were damaged due to strong river currents.
According to him, the road at kilometre 51 of Jalan Telupid-Sandakan that was submerged by flood waters was passable to all vehicles yesterday morning.
Meanwhile, in Kinabatangan the flood situation in the district worsened with victims moved to evacuation centres increasing to 1,251 people from 284 families.
Kinabatangan PKOB chairman, Arisin Arifin, said five more villages were affected by floods and they were Tulang-Tulang, Kuamut, Desa Permai, Balat and Tangkuyan, compared to just four Sunday which were Sangau, Bukit Garam, Jaya Baru and Pelangi.
He said food aid to the flood victims had begun to be distributed since yesterday by aid workers using boats.
According to him, the Sungai Kinabatangan water level as of 8am yesterday was still at 10.31m. — Bernama