Children and infants were among those evacuated and placed at temporary evacuation centre at the Kundasang Community Hall.
RANAU: Mud floods that overcame two rivers, Sungai Masilau Kundasang and Sungai Liwagu here, have displaced 930 riverine residents comprising 166 families.
A house was dislodged and fell into the water while another was reported to be on the brink of falling; five others were also reported to be in precarious position.
District officer Faimin Kimin, who is also district disaster committee chairman said residents from 11 villages had been staying at relief centres since Monday as a safety measure, and for facilitation of aid particularly food.
The affected villages are Masilau in Kundasang, and Kimolohing, Lingkudao, Puru-Puru, Marakau, Sinarut, Sinarut lama, Silou, Matan, Kituntul lama and Kituntul baru.
Faimin said two bridges across the Masilau river were also damaged by the mud floods which washed up pieces of timber as they slide.
He said 245 victims from 224 families were temporarily sheltering at Dewan Mini Kundasang, while 522 from 101 families at Dewan Masyarakat Ranau and 163 from 41 families at Dewan Serbaguna Marakau.
“The numbers were recorded at 11am today (yesterday) and are expected to increase in view of the poor weather particularly in Kundasang,” he said in a briefing here yesterday.
Also present at the briefing were Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun, Ranau MP
Datuk Siringan Gubat and district police chief DSP Farhan Lee Abdullah.
Faimin said the timber-clogged Liwagu River had crippled the Kimolohing water treatment plant causing disruption of water supply to Ranau.
“A tanker truck is being used to deliver water from Tuaran district to the affected areas with priority accorded to relief centres, district hospital and school hostels,” he said.
He said it would take time for the water treatment plant to function properly as there were three kilometres of timber pieces in Sungai Liwagu that needed to be cleared.
According to him, the water treatment plant at Kibbas was still functioning but cleaning works due to the mud flood was expected to take three days.
Faimin said the water supply problem would be resolved in stages.
Meanwhile in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Mohd Affendi K Ramin said through Whatsapp that the number of victims in Kota Belud remained at 28 comprising 10 families.
“The families are still staying at Dewan Tun Said in Kota Belud,” he said. — Bernama