Cameron Highlands flash flood: 'Warning siren was not late'

A warning siren was sounded for an hour in compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) to enable residents to vacate their homes before the water at the Ringlet dam, Cameron Highlands was released.

Fire and Rescue Department assistant director-general (Operations Division) Datuk Soiman Jahid said, according to the SOP, residents should be wary when the siren was sounded continuously and vacate their homes because the release of the dam water could cause flash floods.

"In addition, the police also conducted patrols and used loud hailers to warn the residents to move out immediately for safety reason and to comply with every instruction issued by the authorities," he said at a media conference at the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department Headquarters, here Thursday.

He said this when responding to allegations by several groups in the internet that the warning siren was sounded late.

"I personally met the Cameron Highlands OCPD... the allegation was unfounded because before the first release of the water at 1am, the dam authorities had sounded the siren," he said.

Soiman clarified that each dam had their respective SOP and usually the residents concerned would be informed immediately by the dam authorities if there would be any spillover from the dam.

He said during each monsoon season, the water at the dam would spill over if it was not released according to proper channels and this could result in major floods.

In the incident at about 1am Wednesday, three people died -- two due to drowning while the third died of a heart attack -- when flash floods occurred after the water at Sungai Bertam overflowed following the release of water at the Ringlet Dam.

The incident also destroyed 80 houses and several vehicles in settlement areas in Bertam Valley.