More than 5,000 villagers hit Baling flash floods

More than 5,000 people involving 600 families in several villages in the Baling district (Kedah) were hit by flash floods due to a heavy downpour at 3 pm yesterday. The affected villages were Gabus, Telok Pendiat, Pokok Sena Pulai, Raja Kupang, Landak Hilir, Banggol Lahar, Tanjong Merbau, Lubuk Pedati, Cenerai, Kuala Pegang, Belakang Sekolah Kebangsaan Kupang and Rambong Kupang.

The flood waters, also destroyed more than 50 hectares of paddy fields in Landak Hilir, Kupang near here.

Siti Solehah Awang, 47, a villager from Kampung Telok Pendiat, Pulai claimed today that the flash floods were caused by rampant logging activities in several hilly areas in the district.

"We've never experienced such flash floods until now. But last night there was two feet of water in my house, damaging household appliances," she said.

Che Rohisyam Che Zain, 31, from Kampung Gambur said one wall of her house had cracked due to the soil erosion caused by the floods.

Bayu assemblyman Datuk Azmi Che Husain advised the flood victims to lodge police reports to facilitate an investigation into the matter.