SYDNEY:

Fast-moving floodwaters rose yesterday in northeastern Australia after forcing many to flee, blacking out homes and sweeping away a chunk of a critical bridge.

Storms have already dumped more than a metre of rain in two days in parts of Queensland, engulfing homes, businesses and roads in muddy waters, authorities said.

Aerial footage showed rural communities surrounded by the floodwaters, cut off from nearby roads.

“We are going to see widespread rain and storms spread across much of northern Queensland,” Premier David Crisafulli told a news conference.

“We remain prepared for the prospect of more rain and the likelihood of more flooding, both flash flooding and riverine flooding.”

Emergency services carried out 11 “swift water rescues” overnight, the premier said.

Areas of flood-hit Townsville, a popular coastal tourist destination that lies near the Great Barrier Reef, had been declared a “black zone”, he said.

“Our advice to residents in the black zone at the moment is to stay out of that zone and stay safe.”

The authorities told 2,100 people in the town to evacuate at the weekend, though about 10% refused, emergency services officials said.

One woman in her 60s was killed on Sunday when the rescue boat she was in flipped over in the flood-hit rural town of Ingham, about 100km from Townsville, police said.

Her body was recovered later.

The floods swept away a section of a concrete bridge over a creek, cutting off the state’s main coastal road, the Bruce Highway, Crisafulli said.

“It’s not every day you see a bridge torn in two. That’s what has happened at Ollera Creek, and it is significant,” he said.

Almost 11,000 properties remained without power across north Queensland, Ergon Energy said, with no timeframe given for when electricity would be restored.

The heavy rain is expected to continue for 24 hours, with some locations to receive 300mm, before it begins to ease, the national weather agency said.

Townsville acting mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said the floods were expected to peak today.

“The roads are cut off, so communities are isolated,” she said.

The town was pressing for power to be restored and working with large supermarket chains to deliver food, the mayor said.

People could expect to see crocodiles moving about in search of calmer waters, the environment department warned this weekend.

One farmer told national broadcaster ABC he saw a “bunch of crocodiles” around his rural property, 140km south of Cairns, sharing a photo of one of the reptiles lit up by a car’s headlights as it lurked on a flooded road. – AFP

TATAU, 4 Feb: Pasukan Gerakan Udara (PGU) Pangkalan Sarawak dengan kerjasama Pejabat Daerah Tatau melaksanakan misi penghantaran bantuan bekalan makanan ke kawasan pedalaman Tatau menggunakan helikopter.

Menurut satu kenyataan, bantuan bekalan makanan telah dihantar menggunakan helikopter AW 139 milik PGU Pangkalan Sarawak ke kawasan yang terjejas akibat banjir.

“Misi ini telah berjaya diselesaikan dalam masa enam hari, bermula pada 30 Januari 2025 (Khamis) hingga hari ini, 4 Februari 2025 (Selasa). Sepanjang tempoh ini, lebih kurang 23 tan bekalan makanan berupa makanan kering serta pek beras yang telah disediakan oleh Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM).

“Bantuan ini memberi manfaat lebih 1,700 orang penduduk yang melibatkan lebih kurang 35 buah rumah panjang, dua buah sekolah dan sebuah klinik kesihatan di kawasan pedalaman,” menurut kenyataan itu.

Kawasan terjejas yang menerima bantuan tersebut termasuk Nanga Tau, Penyarai, Kakus, Long Beyak, Kem Gabong dan Ulu Anap.

Misi penghantaran bantuan ini turut melibatkan kerjasama erat antara pelbagai agensi termasuk Pejabat Daerah Tatau, Polis Diraja Malaysia (IPD) Tatau dan Bintulu serta anggota daripada Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Tatau.

Selain bantuan di Daerah Tatau, pasukan ini juga telah menghantar hampir 1.8 tan bekalan makanan yang sama ke kawasan Gerong dan Sekabai di Daerah Sebauh, menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan bekalan yang dihantar hampir 25 tan.- TVS

KUCHING (Feb 4): Sebuyau District’s drainage and irrigation infrastructure must be reviewed to ensure it can effectively manage water flow, particularly from large oil palm plantations near villages and longhouses, said Dato Sri Julaihi Narawi.

The Utility and Telecommunication Minister also called on private plantations to contribute to the effort.

“The relevant private oil palm plantations must also bear responsibility for the cost of constructing a more effective drainage and irrigation system, in addition to government allocations. This includes the number of tidal DID (Department of Irrigation and Drainage) gates that need to be built.

“The government may also need to review policies on drainage and irrigation requirements for large plantations, not only in Sebuyau but across Sarawak, particularly in areas where water flows through villages and longhouses,” he said in a statement following his visit yesterday to temporary evacuation centres (PPS) housing flood victims in Sebuyau.

The Sebuyau assemblyman said Dewan Pembangunan Sebuyau and three other community halls were being used as PPS for 538 flood victims displaced by heavy rainfall and inland water overflow.

“These victims are from Kampung Stika, Kampung Pantu Plaie, Kampung Lubok Meranti, Kampung Lumut, Kampung Arus Iban, Kampung Terusan, Kampung Skitong, Kampung Bajong, Kampung Sagu, and Kampung Nap.

“I had the opportunity to visit all four PPS and distribute food baskets to the affected residents,” he said.

The other community halls serving as PPS are Dewan Masyarakat Lutong Sebangan, Dewan Masyarakat Arus Melayu, and Dewan Masyarakat Bajong Ili.

“All displaced residents at these four PPS receive meals four times a day, in addition to food baskets. Among those affected were young children, including a one-month-old infant,” he said.

He noted that Kampung Kakus Ensika residents had not been evacuated despite floodwaters submerging access roads and the surrounding areas, as the longhouse and several houses nearby remained habitable, although only accessible by lorries, four-wheel drives, and small boats.

“I have also delivered food baskets to Tuai Rumah Maramat Lalat for the 150 residents of Kampung Kakus Ensika,” he added.

KUCHING: Villagers at Kampung Hulu in Serian, Sarawak, are facing the difficult task of cleaning up their homes as floodwaters begin to recede.

Mas Idayah Ismail, 31, was seen sweeping out muddy water from her living room and removing damaged furniture.

She said her family was unable to save most of their furniture and refrigerator on the ground floor because the floodwaters rose unexpectedly last Thursday.

“It was all so sudden. When we came downstairs to check, about 15cm of water had already entered our house. “We only managed to save some smaller items as we didn’t expect the water to rise so quickly,” Mas Idayah said yesterday.

She said this was the worst flood the village had experienced since 2015, when a similar disaster occurred. Another villager, Nor Atifah Abdullah, spent more than four hours cleaning her kitchen and living room.

“I’m doing what I can now that the water has started receding,” she said.

Many residents from Kampung Hulu, about 64km from here, were evacuated to temporary relief shelters when the floods hit.

However, Habib Madini was unable to leave because his elderly mother, who is wheelchair-bound, could not move on her own.

“We decided to stick it out at home. Rescue personnel came twice but they couldn’t move my mother as she’s quite heavy,” he said, adding that his family lives on the first floor.

Serian was among the worst flood-affected divisions in Sarawak, along with Bintulu.

As of 2pm yesterday, 1,536 people were still sheltering in seven temporary evacuation centres in the division.