malaysiangPASIR MAS, March 3 — Many flood victims in Rantau Panjang are taking advantage of the improving weather to start cleaning up works although the water has not fully subsided in some areas.
A resident of Kampung Tersang, Mohd Hirwan Rajiuon, 41, said although there was stagnant water around his house, he could not afford to delay cleaning up the house.
“The floods which started at 3 am on Friday caused my double-storey house occupied by eight people to be flooded almost five metres, submerging the ground floor and destroying equipment including electrical appliances.
“We don’t know when the waters will recede fully, so my family has started to remove furniture like sofa, clothes and carpets for drying on the road,” he told Bernama today.
Recalling his ordeal, Mohd Hirwan, who owns a pet shop, said he had to pull a boat with seven family members in chest-high water to safety in darkness when floods rose suddenly in their place.
Mohd Hirwan said that after moving his family to safety, he returned home in a bid to salvage his belongings and pets but failed.
He estimated his losses at RM50,000, including the 600 birds and 100 chickens and ducks which perished.
Mohd Hirwan said he had not yet recovered from last December’s floods which cost him almost RM20,000 in damage.
A resident of Kampung Lubok Gong in Rantau Panjang, Wan Azlina Wan Yusof, 48, said her husband Kassim Dollah, 66, had been helping her to clean up the house since this morning.
“We put out to dry items like clothes which can still be used. This round of floods caused heavy damage as the waters reached chest level,” she added.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
