Fire and Rescue Dept's four-wheel drive submerged in flood waters while sending aid to Kg Paya Besar

HULU TERENGGANU: An attempt by the Fire and Rescue Department to send aid to victims trapped in a village failed when flood waters suddenly started to rise, submerging the four-wheel drive they were in.
The Toyota Hilux owned by the Fire and Rescue Department was on its way to the village at about 5pm yesterday, with a number of volunteers and media personnel, when water started rising and swift currents threatened the safety of the team.
The four-wheel drive was trapped in 0.3m of flood waters at Kampung Pasir Pelata, here for about five hours said Kuala Berang Fire and Rescue Department officer Mohd Zamri Omar.
The team had earlier sent aid to a flood relief centre in Pengkalan Ajal and was on its way to Kampung Paya Besar when the incident happened.
"When the four-wheel drive reached Kampung Pasir Pelata, it started raining but the road looked normal but all of a sudden the water level started rising.
We could not turn back or avoid what was happening.
"We tried to drive through the flood waters but the current was very swift and dangerous. We managed to drive for about 300m but the water level started rising quickly. Everyone managed to climb to safety with the help of the Fire and Rescue Department from Kuala Berang," he told Bernama.
Meanwhile, a journalist from Bernama, Nur Fazlizai Ali, who was also a member of the group that was trapped in the incident said it was a frightening experience throughout his experience in covering the floods in Terengganu.
He said the incident happened very fast, the four-wheel drive was quickly submerged in flood waters and a lorry that was used to carry the goods and 15 people encountered problems at about 5.30pm.
"We only managed to come out of the area at 12 midnight," he said.
Nur Fazlizai said the incident would not in any way dampen his spirit or that of others in the team to continue their mission. — Bernama