Sabah DCM Joseph Pairin Kitingan says warnings had been given since 1996 when Storm Greg hit killing 200, but people still built houses close to rivers.
Sabah deputy chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan visits flash flood scenes in Keningau.
KOTA KINABALU: Residents in the rural Sabah district of Keningau have been urged to heed the government’s advice against building houses on a river bank to prevent untoward incidents.
Twelve houses on riverbanks in Keningau were reportedly swept away by flash floods during heavy rain yesterday, a disaster reminiscent of Storm Greg in 1996 that took some 200 lives.
Fortunately, nobody was reported killed in the latest disaster, which was caught on camera and went viral on social media.
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan said various agencies had issued the warning after the tropical storm battered Sabah’s west coast on Dec 26.
“Such advice aims to prevent loss of property and worse, loss of life,” Kitingan said during a visit to the flooded areas along the river today.
“We’ve been giving this advice out of concern that the river often shifts during bad weather.”
“We hope to prevent residential areas from becoming flooded in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Keningau district police chief DSP Ahmad Jawila said police had received reports of five house destroyed by the floods as of 2pm today.
However, an advisory from the Sabah Civil Defence Force said 12 houses had been swept away by the fast flowing muddy water.
“Four houses along Sungai Pampang and one in Kampung Durok were destroyed. We expect this number to rise,” Ahmad said.
“The flood situation improved as at 7am today. However, police haven’t received any report over the situation along Sungai Agudon and Kampung Contoh.”
Keningau was the hardest hit district by Storm Greg which caused flash floods in the wee hours of the morning, catching sleeping villagers unawares.
The water was said to have rushed from the Crocker Range down to the shallow Sungai Pampang during the storm.
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Sumber Pairin: Disaster warnings since 1996 unheeded in Keningau