Continuous rain in northern Malaysia triggers flash floods in Kedah, Penang
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In Penang, the Oct 25 downpour caused flash floods at 10 locations on the island.
PHOTO: UNSPLASH
- Continuous rain since Oct 25 caused flash floods in Kedah, Penang and Perlis, with several rivers above warning and danger levels.
- In Kedah, homes were flooded in Yan and Kuala Muda, and relief centres sheltered families after riverbanks burst and water rose to knee height.
- In Penang, floods hit 10 island locations and a landslide in Paya Terubong killed Dr Wong Kar Lin, leading to evacuations and a halt to nearby works.
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GEORGE TOWN – Malaysians in the northern states woke to a wet morning on Oct 26, with satellite imagery showing heavy cloud cover over all of Penang and much of Kedah and Perlis.
It had been raining in the states since about 10pm on the night of Oct 25, and in Kedah, several rivers were at alert or danger levels as of 5am on Oct 26.
According to the Public InfoBanjir portal, the water level at Kampung Padang Pasir in Kubang Pasu district, near Changlun, reached 21.814m, exceeding the danger level of 21.6m and continuing to rise.
Sungai Pendang in Pendang was at 2.781m, above its warning level of 2.7m, while Sungai Anak Bukit in Taman Aman recorded 2.06m, exceeding its alert level of 2m.
Sungai Melaka in Padang Matsirat, Langkawi, was at 3.268m, above its alert level of 3.1m.
Water levels at the three river stations were falling at the time of the readings.
In Yan, Kedah, about 30 families registered at a temporary relief centre at SK Teroi on Oct 25 after a nearby river burst its banks, flooding homes in Kampung Titi Teras and Kampung Teroi Bukit.
Floodwaters reached knee height in some areas, with about 20 houses affected in Kampung Titi Teras alone.
Another relief centre at Surau As Saadiah in Kampung Guar Nenas, Kuala Muda, sheltered 24 people from seven families following flash floods.
In Penang, the Oct 25 downpour caused flash floods at 10 locations on the island, while the Penang Island City Council recorded 14 incidents involving fallen trees and broken branches.
Nine of the tree-related incidents were cleared by 2pm on Oct 25, with work continuing at five locations.
The worst incident was a landslide at Taman Seri Rambai in Paya Terubong, which killed 73-year-old doctor Wong Kar Lin.
Wong was preparing breakfast in his kitchen on the morning of Oct 25 when earth and rocks crashed into his house, burying him beneath the debris.
His wife and mother-in-law escaped unharmed.
Firefighters recovered his body at 11.20am.
Residents of six nearby houses involving five families were ordered to evacuate as soil movement continued at the landslide site.
A temporary relief centre was opened at a community hall in Paya Terubong.
The Penang Island City Council ordered an immediate halt to nearby condominium and road construction works pending investigations into the landslide.
State infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said slope stabilisation works were being carried out in the area, but the section where the landslide occurred remained unfinished.
Investigations into the cause are continuing. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK