Wednesday November 3, 2010

Kedah and Perlis scramble to send aid to 19,000 hit by floodwaters

A FAMILY mourns the death of a 13-year-old; a 64-year-old German woman is reported missing and some 19,000 lives are turned upside down as the floods in Kedah and Perlis cause devastation.

With road and rail links cut because of the floods, both states scrambled to send aid to stranded victims. In one instance, six men sought refuge on a tree because of the rising waters.

Rescue teams have been sent to the affected areas and steps taken to make sure victims receive all the help they need.

No through road: The scene at the 28th kilometre of the North-South Expressway near the Jitra-Malau exit in Kedah, which was closed to light vehicles yesterday because of floods. A total of 19,000 people have been evacuated as Kedah and Perlis cope with the devastation caused by heavy rain since Sunday. — G.C. TAN / The Star

Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu described the floods as “really bad” and its damage worse than the big flood of 2005 when the entire state was flooded.

Desperate for some kind of transportation, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, the Tambun Tulang assemblyman, flagged down tractors, backhoes and lorries to ask for help to ferry the victims out of their houses.

In Kelantan, another RM50,000 worth of basic necessities will be provided to those staying in relief centres after the first RM100,000 worth of items ran out.

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