Firemen helping to transfer villagers to higher grounds.
KOTA KINABALU: Villagers were forced to evacuate their homes after a downpour triggered a flash flood in Sabah’s east coast Tawau district early Wednesday (Sept 13).
Firemen were called in to help with the evacuation process after water levels started to rise following heavy rain sometime around midnight at Kampung Rawa-Rawa Mile 4.
Tawau Fire and Rescue chief Jemishin Ujin said they received a distress call at 2.27am to help move residents from the village to safer locations.
“There were 11 families comprising 12 people who had to be transferred to higher grounds due to the flash flood,” he said when contacted.
“They waited there until the water started to recede at about 5am.
“The affected villagers were allowed to return home at 7.28am after our men assessed it was safe to do so,” he added.
Jemishin said the village was located near a beach and a combination of high tide and the downpour had most probably triggered the flash flood.
He said the high tide prevented rainwater from running off quickly into the ocean and thus caused water levels to rise.
