MUM WADES THROUGH FLOOD TO LEAD DISABLED SON TO SAFETY IN TUMPAT

TUMPAT, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- A 69-year-old mother had to wade through floodwaters about half a metre deep while holding the hand of her mentally and physically disabled son to save themselves after their home was inundated since yesterday.

Mek Kembang Ya said she and her son, 54-year-old Mohd Nazu Mohd Noor, evacuated to the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Tumpat 2 temporary relief centre at about 9 pm.

“I had to guide him by the hand because he can’t walk properly due to his leg disability and mental condition. I immediately evacuated because I was worried the water level might continue to rise since it has been raining non-stop since Thursday evening,” she told reporters at the relief centre today.

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Mek Kembang is among 392 victims sheltering at the relief centre. Three more relief centre have been opened in Tumpat, with the total number of evacuees now at 1,184 people from 537 families.

She said she was worried that the flood situation would get worse like last year, so she decided to move with her son with the help of her granddaughter.

“Every year our house is inundated, but the flood last year was so bad that many parts of the house were damaged. We only managed to patch it up with plywood,” she said, adding that she was used to taking care of her son while at the relief centre because they have to relocate every year.

Meanwhile, another victim, 68-year-old Siti Zaharah Yosuff, said she, her sister-in-law, Zalina Junoh, 53, and her seven-year-old grandchild waded through the paddy fields before registering at the centre at about 7 pm yesterday.

“My house, in a paddy field on Jalan Hilir Istana Bukit Tanah, was submerged under 0.5 metres of water. I moved because this area is remote and it is difficult to get help,” she said, adding that last year’s flood destroyed her house, with water levels reaching one metre.

A Bernama survey of several areas around Tumpat found that river overflows and continuous rain since last night have caused several main roads in the district to be flooded.

Among the affected areas are Kampung Bendang Pak Yong, Kampung Baru Nelayan, Kampung Telaga Bata and Jalan Tumpat-Pengkalan Kubor, with some roads passable only by large vehicles.

In other areas, residents could be seen moving their cars to higher ground to avoid damage.

-- BERNAMA