A 17-year-old expresses relief after his bedridden father is safely evacuated during sudden floods in Kulim, with over 1,000 victims affected.
KULIM: A teenager expressed immense gratitude after his bedridden father was safely evacuated during sudden floods that hit several areas in Kulim.
Muhammad Haris Azmi, 17, from Kampung Padang Limau said floodwater began rising around 5 pm yesterday and reached about 0.5 metres by 8 pm.
He described the situation as particularly worrying because his 57-year-old father Azmi Hashim is bedridden due to a stroke.
ALSO READ: Taiping flood: Father clings to rack as water levels rise to neck level
“I was at home with my mother and my brother when we started discussing how to relocate our bedridden father as the water rose.”
“Thankfully, shortly after, we received a call from the Kulim Hospital and they sent an ambulance to help transfer my father to the temporary relief centre,” he told reporters at the Sekolah Menengah Agama Madrasah Ihsaniah relief centre in Kampung Jangkang today.
Another resident of Kampung Padang Limau, Jamaliah Bakar, 57, said many items in her home including furniture and electrical appliances could not be saved as the water surged rapidly.
ALSO READ: Over 4,200 flood victims relocated to relief centres in three states
“My house is located in a flood-prone area, but previously, we never had to evacuate because the water never rose this high.”
“The last time we had a serious flood like this was in 2013, and now it’s happening again,” she said.
Meanwhile, R. Kasthuri, 41, said her home had not been flooded for a long time, but prolonged heavy rain this time caused a nearby river to overflow into the surrounding areas.
ALSO READ: Flash floods hit Lahar Yooi and Labuh Banting while residents slept
“This time, the flood is quite bad because we couldn’t save many belongings as the water rose too quickly.”
“Even my children’s school books couldn’t be saved,” said the kindergarten teacher.
The Kedah Disaster Management Committee Secretariat stated that as of 4 pm today, a total of 1,007 victims from 311 families have been evacuated to eight relief centres in two districts.
Kulim recorded the highest number of evacuees with 955 victims from 287 families relocated to seven relief centres.
Another 52 victims from 24 families were placed at a relief centre in Kuala Muda. – Bernama
