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Floods inundate parts of Bintulu

 

BINTULU: Continuous downpour unleashed floods in some parts of the division, forcing the closure of three schools.

State Education Department director Rakayah Madon said a total of 550 pupils and 52 primary schools teachers were affected by the closure when several roads in the division were submerged with water between 0.5m and one-metre deep.

Among the schools affected by the floods included SK Kuala Kebulu and SK Sungai Bukit Balai in the Sebauh districts.

“We learned that the heavy rain caused Sungai Tabau to burst its banks and flood several area including the compound of the schools.

“There are a total of 60 pupils and 30 teachers in SK Kuala Kebulu and another 343 pupils and 25 teachers in SK Sungai Bukit Balai,” said Rakayah in a statement yesterday.

The other school affected by the closure was SK Kampung Nyalau here.

The school was not accessible to its 147 pupils and 14 teachers after roads leading to the school were submerged by flood waters.

Rakayah said the schools would be closed for today.

“We are not sure how long the school will be closed. It will depend on the situation on the ground since the safety of the children and teachers are top priority,” she said.

The State Drainage and Irrigation Department website showed the water level at the Tubau station in the division had reached the warning level.

As of 2.55pm, the water level at the station, which covers the Kemena river basin, has reached 6.38m and surpassed its normal level of three metres.

Meanwhile, the State Fire and Rescue Department are prepared to face any consequences should the wet spell in the state worsen.

Its director Nor Hisham Mohammad said the department had 1,100 personnel ready to be deployed should circumstances take a turn for the worse.

“Our assets are also ready to be dispatched. We have a total of 70 aluminium and fibreglass boats for rescue and aid distribution missions.

“On top of that, we have three Kevlar boats and two jet skis,” said Hisham.

He added the department was keeping close tabs of the situation in 564 areas, considered as flood prone areas based on previous incidents within the past five years.

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