SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government has approved an allocation of RM400,000 to repair houses damaged during a recent storm in Kampung Baru Ayer Hitam, Kampung Dusat and Felda Lui Barat in Jempol.

Senior state executive councillor Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said repair works began yesterday under the supervision of the district disaster committee and are expected to be completed within a week.

“Currently, 25 individuals from six families are being housed at the temporary relief centre at SMK Lui Barat, where they will remain until the repair works are completed,” he told Bernama.

It was reported that more than 80 houses in Felda Lui Barat and six houses in Kampung Baru Ayer Hitam in Jempol were damaged due to the storm and heavy rain on Saturday evening.

One of the victims, Vidawati Khalid, 48, said she and her two siblings incurred losses of nearly RM30,000 after their respective houses were damaged in the storm.

She said it was the first time such an incident had occurred, adding that her family was terrified as they witnessed the whirlwind tear through their home, ripping off the roof.

Vidawati said she and her two children managed to escape.

“I remember seeing the strong winds swirling through the living room. Thankfully, we took shelter in a bedroom before making our way to my mother’s house to seek safety,” she said.

GEORGE TOWN: Malaysians have been urged to remain vigilant of Covid-19, especially during the coming school holidays.

Virologist Dr Kumitaa Theva Das said usually, cases would hike when there are large gatherings, as the phenomenon increases the chances of the spread of the virus.

“But since this JN.1 variant has been circulating for a while, we are not going to see 20,000 cases a day despite the school holidays,” she said.

Dr Kumitaa, who is with Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the country’s healthcare providers were also not expected to be overwhelmed.

Experts surmise that JN.1, a descendant of the Omicron lineage, emerged two years ago in several countries, including Malaysia.

She said the current spike in neighbouring countries, like Singapore, was due to the LF.7 and NB.1.8 variants, which are offshoots of JN.1. She said LF.7 was actually detected in Malaysia middle of last year.

“This means that many people may have been infected with it in the past and have immunity against it,” she said.

She added that the public should always practice caution at all times and wear masks if necessary.

“If you have young children or elderly in your family, wearing a mask will help keep you safe, especially for the high-risk groups,” Dr Kumitaa said.

Penang Hospital’s infectious disease unit head Datuk Dr Chow Ting Soo said it was important for people not to drop their guard.

“We should always practice good cough etiquette and avoid public spaces when down with respiratory illnesses,” she said.

Dr Chow said wearing masks and avoiding crowded areas were a must if one is immunocompromised or elderly.

She also urged people to adopt proper hygiene practices and get their annual vaccinations.

“Now, we have the Covid-19 vaccine available at government health clinics. The elderly and those with comorbidities can get their appointments via the MySejahtera app,” she said.

State health director Datuk Dr Fazilah Shaik Allaudin said that, according to the latest announcement from the Health Ministry on May 16, all states in Malaysia reported Covid-19 cases that fell below the warning threshold for the period spanning Epidemiological Week (EW) 16 to EW19/2025, which includes Penang.

She said the ministry would continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation and will implement suitable preventative measures based on the current risk assessment.

In Kedah, health committee chairman Mansor Zakaria said the situation was also under control. “Cases recorded are not serious, and there is no indication that there will be an increase,” he said.

Schools around the country will take a one-week break from May 29 to June 9.

BELAWAI, 26 Mei: Tapak pelupusan sampah di Kampung Jerijeh di sini, terbakar hari ini.

Komander Operasi, Alban Gayan Lembang berkata, pihaknya menerima panggilan berhubung kes itu jam 2.58 petang dengan menggerakkan lima anggota Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat (BBP) Tanjung Manis ke lokasi kejadian.

“Setibanya di lokasi kejadian didapati kebakaran tapak pelupusan sampah berkeluasan 0.00826 ekar.

“Pihak bomba bertindak melakukan teknik pemadaman dengan menggunakan tiga aliran hos 400 kaki, tiga nozel dari sumber air terbuka,” katanya dalam kenyataan hari ini.

Katanya, operasi pemadaman ditangguhkan pada jam 7 malam ini dan akan disambung pada hari esok. – TVS

DAKAR, 27 Mei- Seramai 11 orang disahkan maut manakala tujuh lagi cedera selepas sebuah bangunan tiga tingkat yang sedang dalam pembinaan runtuh di bandar Touba, Senegal, semalam.

Kejadian berlaku ketika kerja-kerja pembinaan sedang dijalankan.

Pengarah Kebangsaan Pembinaan, Moussa Tine, dalam kenyataannya kepada media tempatan memaklumkan insiden berpunca daripada kegagalan mematuhi piawaian serta peraturan pembinaan yang ditetapkan.

Touba, yang terletak di tengah Senegal, kini pesat membangun daripada segi kepadatan penduduk dan pembangunan infrastruktur.

Bagaimanapun, sebahagian besar projek pembinaan di kawasan berkenaan dikenal pasti dijalankan tanpa kelulusan rasmi serta tidak mematuhi spesifikasi keselamatan, sekali gus meningkatkan risiko kejadian seperti itu.

Untuk rekod, kejadian runtuhan bangunan sering berlaku di Senegal.

Awal Mei lalu, dua nyawa terkorban dalam insiden di ibu negara Dakar, manakala pada Januari 2024, tujuh lagi maut dalam kejadian sama.

Pada Julai 2023, lima orang terbunuh di Guinea apabila dua bangunan yang masih dalam pembinaan runtuh.- AFP