TANJUNG MALIM: Some 410 residents of Kampung Orang Asli Chinggong were relocated to a temporary relief centre (PPS) due to the overflow of Sungai Chinggong following a heavy rainfall yesterday.
Villagers described the evening flood as the second-worst incident in the past year.
A resident, Jefri Mohd Kassim, 52, said heavy rain began in the hills area around 2pm, followed by rainfall in the village.
"At the time, I was hosting guests at my home to celebrate the New Year. Suddenly, some villagers rushed to inform us that the river water had overflowed into the village.
"Within 10 minutes, the water began flooding the yard, prompting me to instruct my family members to evacuate and bring essential documents to the hall," Jefri said.
He said the floodwaters, carrying mud and debris, surged into the village, leaving no time to save all household items.
Meanwhile, Chew Ho Seng, 43, said he saw the floodwaters rushing into his house and the village while he was at the front of his home.
"Without wasting time, I immediately called my nephew, who was sleeping inside, to inform him that the house was already flooded.
"My nephew quickly pushed my wheelchair to the hall as the water level rose, leaving all our belongings submerged," he said, adding that the flood damaged everything in the house.
Housewife Jamilah Dawi, 53, said she noticed water entering her yard after her daughter-in-law alerted her.
"Our house is about 40 metres from the river.
"When the water level rose rapidly, we couldn't save any belongings.
"The water gushed into the house and the village, leaving us with no choice but to prioritise saving ourselves," she said.
Jamilah said they only managed to save important documents before heading to the hall on higher ground in the village.
Meanwhile, the village Tok Batin, Syarif Salaseh, 51, said it was the second-worst incident since the first major flood in 2003.
"The river's water level rose so quickly that residents couldn't save their clothes, furniture, or electrical appliances.
"The villagers could only save themselves.
"During the incident, children, the elderly, and the sick were evacuated to the hall first, with the help of other villagers," he said.
Syarif said the river overflowed due to a water column phenomenon, leaving the villagers with no time to salvage anything.