Floods: Family stranded on top of pickup truck before being rescued

KEMAMAN: A family of three faced anxious moments and had to climb to the safety of the roof of their four-wheel drive after the vehicle was trapped in a flood in Kampung Batu 10, here.

Kemaman district police chief Supt Hanyan Ramlan said in the 10.30 am incident today, two men and a woman aged between 20 and 40 years old, were on the roof of their vehicle for about 30 minutes before being rescued.

According to him, when the family who were travelling in a Ford Ranger traversed the road which was still closed to all vehicles due to flooding, the engine of the four-wheeler suddenly stalled causing it to be trapped in the floods.

One of the family members, who declined to be identified, said they were on their way from Kuantan to go home to clean their house which was affected by the floods in Kampung Mak Chili, here.

"When we found out that the floodwaters had receded in the area, we decided to go home and clean it up but did not expect the road to be still under water, when we arrived at Kampung Batu 10.

"While our vehicle was submerged in water, the engine suddenly stopped. Fortunately, before that I had lowered the car window that allowed the three of us to climb atop the roof," she said when met by reporters at the scene.

Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department director-general, Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, said flood victims need not return to their homes just to access the situation while the floodwaters remained high.

He said there were drowning cases that occurred as a result of the victims leaving the flood evacuation centres to return home but had fallen and were eventually swept away by the currents. There were some victims who tried to go across (the floodwaters) in vehicles without realising that there were drains or ditches in their paths.

"All parties need to take into account security factors. We do not encourage such action because not everyone can know the geographical situation and floodwaters can also rise at any time," he added.

He said this to reporters after conducting an aerial survey of the area around Kemaman which was badly affected by the floods.

-- BERNAMA