SPM CANDIDATE AMONG FLOOD VICTIMS RELOCATED TO TEMPORARY EVACUATION CENTRE IN MERSING

MERSING, Dec 17 (Bernama) -- Continuous heavy rain since midnight last night has inundated this district, forcing hundreds of residents to leave their homes and seek shelter at temporary evacuation centres.

Among those relocated to the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pusat Air Tawar relief centre is a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) candidate whose home was flooded at about 3 am today.

Mohamad Shafiq Amirul Shafri was jolted awake when water began entering his house compound in Kampung Air Tawar, reaching waist level, while water inside the home rose to knee level.

bootstrap slideshow

The eldest of four siblings said that they were notified by the village head, who braved the floodwaters to tell the family to evacuate immediately.

“This is our first time at an evacuation centre, so we weren’t prepared. Several things, including a new sofa, were damaged by the flood,” he said when met by Bernama at the evacuation centre today.

The Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Ungku Husin student said he is scheduled to sit for his last SPM paper, Computer Science, tomorrow and acknowledged that his preparations were disrupted.

“The subject is quite challenging, but I will still do my best, and I’m grateful the examinations are almost over,” he said, adding that they managed to save official documents and important items.

Mohamad Shafiq Amirul also described how tense it was when his family found venomous animals such as centipedes and snakes inside their house while preparing to leave, as their home is near a swamp.

Meanwhile, another victim, Zalina Md Ali, 54, who is wheelchair-bound and is partially paralysed, was among the first evacuated to a shelter after her house flooded around 2 am.

She was evacuated with her husband, Ibrahim Mohd Lazim, 65, and their three grandchildren, aged eight to 13, who live with them.

“The heavy rain since midnight has caused the drains to overflow. Due to my health, it’s hard for me to move. I’m grateful the security personnel helped us evacuate safely,” she said, adding that her husband helps her move around.

She said that all basic necessities, including food and drinks, were provided, and officers ensured the welfare of affected residents was well taken care of.

Another victim is an elderly woman with diabetic induced blurred vision, evacuated to the shelter around 3.30 am after the water rose quickly behind her house, located near a river and paddy fields.

Umi Kalsom, who has lived in the area since 2000, said water levels in the area often rise quickly, particularly when high tide coincides with heavy rainfall.

“The village head helped with the evacuation using a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and my daughter-in-law, Siti Noor Yusoff, 34, helped me,” she said, adding she moves around with the aid of a walking stick and guidance from others.

As of 2 pm today, the State Disaster Management Committee reported that 204 people from 56 families in the district are staying at two evacuation centres, namely SK Pusat Air Tawar and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina Chiao Ching.

-- BERNAMA