PREGNANT MOM BRAVES THIGH-DEEP WATER TO FLEE FLOODED HOME

KOTA BHARU, Nov 24 (Bernama) -- A mother who is seven months pregnant braved 500 metres of thigh-deep floodwaters to flee her home in Kampung Panji after it was inundated.

Nik Nor Nadia Nik Ibrahim, 24, waded through the rising, murky water in search of higher ground for temporary shelter with her three-year-old son, accompanied by her sister, Nik Syazwana, 29.

She said the incessant rain since last Friday caused the water level to rise much faster than usual, entering their living room at about 3 pm on Saturday.

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“We usually wait it out because the water typically recedes quickly. But this time the current was strong and the water surged in so fast, we couldn’t save anything.

“As soon as we reached a safe area, my husband, Mohd Zaid Ghani, came to pick us up and took us to the relief centre. We’re grateful everyone is safe, even though this is the second time we’ve had to evacuate,” she told reporters at the temporary relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Islah here.

Meanwhile, at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Jelawat relief centre, single mother Norsalina Che Mat, 42, said this year’s flood was among the most terrifying she had experienced in more than 10 years of living in Kampung Mujur.

She said the water rose so rapidly that she only had time to save a few important documents and her children’s clothes before leaving the house early Sunday morning.

“Usually the floodwaters rise slowly, but that morning, when I stepped outside to check the drain, the water had already reached my knees. I immediately called my seven-year-old daughter (Nur Aysha Alimin, 7) and we left quickly before the current became stronger.

“If we didn’t act fast, we wouldn’t have managed to save anything. Thankfully, the Civil Defence Force team arrived early and brought us to this centre,” she said, adding that despite the crowded conditions, residents are helping one another, especially in managing food and sleeping arrangements.

-- BERNAMA