Penang’s Jalan Tun Sardon stays closed as six new landslides hit the area, with cleanup halted due to ongoing heavy rainfall.
GEORGE TOWN: Jalan Tun Sardon near here will remain closed to all vehicles indefinitely following six new landslides recorded this morning.
Penang Infrastructure and Transport Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari confirmed the extended closure after the fresh incidents occurred between early morning and noon today.
The Public Works Department technical team has been deployed to conduct further investigations at the affected sites.
ALSO READ: Jalan Tun Sardon landslide: Cleanup underway, technical probe to follow
Cleanup operations that started yesterday have been temporarily suspended due to continued heavy rainfall in the area.
Zairil advised all road users to plan their journeys accordingly as state road P14 remains closed for safety reasons.
The main road connecting Paya Terubong to Balik Pulau was initially scheduled to reopen at 6 pm today after a landslide forced its closure on Thursday.
Continuous heavy rain since early Thursday morning triggered the original landslide that prompted the road’s initial closure.
Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Force (APM) in Penang is deploying 100 personnel to assist in monitoring flood hotspots in the state.
State APM director Col (PA) Lokman Hakim Abdul Rahman said the floods occurring in Penang currently are due to the convergence of high tides and heavy rainfall, thus forcing many people to be evacuated to temporary relief centres.
“The personnel will monitor the hotspots, such as rivers that have flood monitoring telemetry stations from the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) because the sirens here will go off if the water exceeds the danger level.
“We will also monitor villages listed as flood hotspots or experienced floods before. If we go by districts, there are many hotspots. For example, Pulau Betong in Balik Pulau is on the list, while in Seberang Perai, areas like Labuh Banting, Lahar Yooi and Guar Perahu are also on the list,” he told reporters when met at the Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tan Sri Awang Had Salleh temporary relief centre here today.
As of 11.30 pm, the Social Welfare Department (JKM) Infobencana website said that 1,029 flood victims are sheltering at seven relief centres that had been opened in three districts – four in Seberang Perai Utara, two in Seberang Perai Tengah and one in the Southwest.– Bernama
ALSO READ: Landslide hits Bukit Paya Terubong after heavy rain in Penang
