Malaysia: Over 10,000 Baram folks cut off by floods

STEPHEN THEN The Star 27 Feb 17;

MIRI: More than 10,000 people from at least 15 longhouses as well as students from a school in the interior Baram district in northern Sarawak have been cut off due to floods.

Over the past 24 hours, heavy rains have inundated these populated settlements, resulting in metre-deep waters.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau visited the flooded areas on Monday to check on the relief aid supplies.

He told The Star that the affected settlements and school had been cut off after the timber roads became flooded.

"Among them are the settlements in Long Bedian, Long Atip, Long Tajang, Long Buan, Long Bemang, Long Loyang, Long Batan, Long Aton, Long Sobeng, SK Long Sobeng, Long Anyat, Long Luteng, Long Puak and Long Lama town.

"The students of SK Long Subeng have been evacuated to the nearest longhouse.

"The school have been closed as flood waters will reach the roof of the school building," he said.

Ngau has issued an alert for help from the state and federal authorities.


Limbang flood evacuees rise to 413, 17 schools closed
BERNAMA New Straits Times 28 Feb 17;

MIRI: The number of flood evacuees in Limbang, Sarawak, has increased to 413 people from 126 families as of 6am today. As of midnight, 410 evacuees from 125 families were still at the relief centre at Mendamit Community Hall in Nanga Mendamit.

Sarawak Disaster Management Committee Secretariat from the Civil Defence Force, Major Ismail Mahedin, said the evacuees were from Asan longhouse, Kampung Semena and Kampung Lubuk Lasas.

So far, 17 primary schools have been closed due to the floods in the state, thus affecting 1,337 pupils. -- Bernama