PENAMPANG: With several villages in the district inundated when the Moyog River burst its banks yesterday, government agencies like the Civil Defence Department and Fire and Rescue Services Department were out in full force since early morning to help evacuate and rescue stranded villagers.
According to Left Lieutenant, Dickson Pirangsang who is the state Civil Defence Department’s Disaster Operation Branch head, a team of 12 personnel from the agency had been on standby in the district to help out with rescue and evacuation operations.
“Kibabaig is one of the worst flood hit places in Penampang so we were dispatched here at 6am this morning. We have been going on rounds in the area to monitor the flood situation. We have also been helping to transfer children, especially from the nearby schools and pre-schools to safety,” he said.
Dickson who was met at Kasigui, said that they received reports that some areas in Inanam and along Papar old road were also flooded but Kibabaig was the worst hit area which was why they were dispatched there.
Other than the government agencies, several groups were also seen volunteering to rescue stranded villagers and two of them were the staff from Riverbug, a white water rafting company and the Penampang Four Wheel Drive Club.
The Penampang Four Wheel Drive Club members were instrumental in helping to bring people stranded at the district’s health clinic out to safety as many were marooned there since the morning and many were hungry as the canteen there had run out of food.
Meanwhile, a resident of Kampung Tuavon here, Adrian Siponong said that he believed many of the residents in the flood-affected areas were caught by surprise as the water had risen very quickly.
“This was not as bad as in 1999 but the water rose so fast that I did not manage to save most of my electrical equipment and furniture. The water started coming into my house at 8.30am and by 9am it was waist high,” he said, adding that he estimated his loss in property to be about RM7,000.
“We cannot blame anyone for what happened because it is a natural disaster but I hope the government can expedite the flood mitigation measures for Penampang,” he stressed.
It was said that the Babagon Dam siren had sounded twice yesterday morning, warning residents living along the river that the water level had reached the overflow point.
However many were caught by surprise as the water level rose to as high as half a metre within 30-minutes after they heard the siren.
The flood also did not spare the district police headquarters, Fire and Rescue Services Station and the Penampang district office.
According to district police chief DSP Ratan Singh, their immediate task was to rescue all important documents, exhibits, equipment and also move the 20 lock-up detainees to Kepayan police headquarters lock-up as the water rose up to nearly a metre.
However, he said that there was no major damage though they faced a prospect of major clean-up once the flood waters completely recede.
Penampang district officer William Sampil, who himself was stranded inside his office building which was flooded with about half a metre of water, said that so far some 100 people had evacuated and necessary assistance was being provided.
“The water is receding and we are hoping the slightly better weather conditions remain,’’ he said, adding that the floods were severe but not as bad as the 1999 floods where they could only use helicopters to reach stranded people.