SERIAN: Landslides and flood waters have rendered useless many major roads serving villages around here, particularly in the Tebedu and Tebakang areas, affecting more than a thousand people yesterday.

The main highway heading towards Sri Aman was not spared either as rock, soil and vegetation came crashing down slopes in landslides that seemed to occur repeatedly off Bukit Genting, while flood waters spilled onto the stretch of road near Kampung Belimbing B. Only heavy vehicles like buses and lorries could pass through.

Traffic came to a halt on opposite sides of the cut-off points nearby Kampung Belimbing B, which is about 20km out of this town.

Many waited in the drizzle hoping that the water would recede; others made a u-turn back to Serian, fearing that they might get sandwiched between the flood water and the landslide at Bukit Genting if they waited.

Among those stranded there was an ambulance team from Sri Aman Hospital.

The Borneo Post team, en route to Sri Aman, learnt that the emergency unit had been stranded there as early as 7am after it had managed to get through the first landslide at Bukit Genting that happened around 9pm on Saturday.

Assistant paramedic Razemi Jol said his unit was transporting a patient to Kuching and never anticipated to get stranded on their way back.

He said on Saturday night itself, the unit could not return because of the landslide at Bukit Genting and could only pass through after Public Works Department cleared the path around 3am.

“We thought things were alright after that, only to be stuck here by flood waters,” he said.

A worried Razemi said he dreaded to think of probabilities if there were more emergency cases in Sri Aman in the next few days when the highway is no longer easily accessible.

Back at Serian, flood waters from the swollen Batang Sadong that submerged several villages along the main Serian-Sri Aman Road, continued to rise threateningly.

One particular casualty was Kampung Hulu. Here flood water rose to more than three feet, causing people to bring out their own boats and begin trans-porting their belongings to higher grounds.

Excited villagers told The Borneo Post that about half of the more than 200 houses there are on low ground.

Besides Kampung Hulu, the flood operation centre at Serian District Office also listed several other villages as casualties of flood waters and landslides.

As of 9.40am yesterday, the villages affected by landslides and flood waters were Pangkalan Amo in Tebedu, Terbat near Mongkos, Kampung Slabi Plaman, Slabi Entukuh, Genting Rasau, Kampung Semukoi and Bukit Birong.

Those affected by flood waters were Kampung Hilir, Hulu, Munggu Limo, Lintang Baru in Panchor, Munggu Kopi, Tanah Putih, Tebakang Dayak, Tebakang Melayu, Kpg Sorak Melayu, Belimbing, Lebor and Remon.

About the same time, evacuation activities were taking place in Kampung Lintang Baru, Panchor Dayak, Kampung Tebakang Melayu and parts of Kampung Tebakang Dayak. Two houses in the Slabi area were also partially destroyed by landslides that occurred close to midnight on Saturday.

At the flood operation centre, personnel from various agencies were all set to go out and help distressed residents.

A spokesperson for the district office said Serian had prepared three evacuation centres – the indoor stadium, SJK Chung Hua School and the Serian community hall – which had a total capacity of 900 persons. Another evacuation centre is Tebakang community hall.

He pointed out that the worst affected areas in Serian were Tebakang and Tebedu with Kampung Pangkalan Amo as among of the first villages to be hit by flood.

“According to sources the water level is rising fast in Tebakang…half a foot each hour,” he said.

He said at Tebakang there were two main villages – Tebakang Melayu and Tebakang Dayak- which had a population of more than 2,000 people.

Tebedu on the other hand had 32 villages with a population of 10,500 people.

The spokesperson urged villagers to contact the flood operation room at 082-874022, 082-874511, 082-874033 or 082-875441 for assistance. The operation room is open round the clock.

Meanwhile, the Samarahan division operation room is contactable at 082-671205, 082-673883 or 082-673834, and the State-level operation room at 082-447934, 082-447960 and 082-492703.