Overflowing Sungai Golok cripples Rantau Panjang town

Rantau Panjang town, here, popular with its Duty-Free Zone, is crippled after the nearby Sungai Golok overflows its banks since last night.

A Bernama check found that scores of traders had closed their shops fearing the steadily rising river water due to incessant rain in the central and upper parts of Kelantan since several days ago.

In addition, hundreds of residents in several villages on the banks of Sungai Golok had been evacuated to the relief centres after their houses were inundated in 0.5 metre to one metre of water.

A 'tudung' (head-cover) trader, Darukni Zulkifli, 31, had to go to her shop as early as 8 am to pack up, despite having fever, fearing her shop would be inundated when the flood started last night.

"My workers helped me to shift the goods to the upper floor of the shop. I lost thousands of ringgit during the floods in 2014. I was forced to sell off the tudung at RM5 each," she said at her shop in Rantau Panjang town, today.

Textile trader, Hasrullizam Shaari, 41, said he and his workers had gradually moved the goods to a safer place early while still keeping the shop open for business.

"If the rain continues and the water level rises further, I will close my shop," said Hasrullizam who started trading in the area since six years ago.

Meanwhile, Kampung Dalam Peladang resident Habsah Abdul Hamid, 74, said she moved to Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Rantau Panjang 2 at 11 am today.

She said her house was flooded up to 0.3 metre at midnight but decided to evacuate to the relief centre this morning.

"I stay 300 metres away from the flood relief centre. I have packed up early as I fear the repeat of the 2014 floods. I hope the flood waters will recede fast," she said.

Another flood victim, Azman Abdul Kadir, 38, of Kampung Dedap here, said he started to evacuate at 4 am after the flood waters rose to chest level.

"My wife and I carried our three children, aged eight months, two years and six years, for a kilometre to the relief centre," he added. -- BERNAMA