By Nor Baizura Basri
KOTA TINGGI (Johor, Malaysia), Jan 4 (Bernama) — Efforts to evacuate people stranded due to flooding in Kota Tinggi town centre by the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) and the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) are ongoing.
A Bernama check found that most parts of the town centre were inundated with water up to two-metres-deep and impassable to all vehicles.
Most of the people trapped are those who live in shophouses or traders who operate shops in the town centre, while all commercial and daily activities have also stopped due to flooding.
This could be one of the worst floods to hit Kota Tinggi since major floods in 2006.
Meanwhile, Kota Tinggi district police chief Supt Hussin Zamora, when contacted by Bernama, said the floods in the town area were also caused by high tide in Sungai Kota Tinggi on Saturday.
He said the flood situation was expected to last until Wednesday and now the police were carrying out rescue efforts according to information received from the Kota Tinggi flood operation centre.
Currently, the flood operation centre has been activated with personnel from agencies including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), JBPM, and APM deployed to assist flood victims and to evacuate them to temporary relief centres (PPS).
Hussin also said that members of public wanting to use the services of private boats to enter the downtown area for the purpose of removing goods from their respective premises are required to obtain police permission first.
He said this to avoid untoward incidents as the town centre is now identified as a high-risk area and also to safeguard the property in the area.
Thus far, Kota Tinggi recorded a total of 2,029 evacuees from 514 families who are currently housed in 20 PPS.
As at 12 noon Monday, the number of flood victims in Johor has dropped to 6,991 people in eight districts.
— BERNAMA