PENAMPANG: Three families were made homeless after landslide hit their wooden houses during heavy downpour at Kampung Kolam Damai, a neighbouring district of Kota Kinabalu.
The incident occurred on Friday morning, when most villagers were getting ready for breakfast and doing their daily routine.
Jasrina Jamil, 32, was with her four children when she was awakened by slight tremors about 4am.
“It was raining heavily since the previous night. It felt like there was an earthquake but I did not think it was serious. At 8am, as we were preparing to have breakfast, I heard a loud rumbling sound.
“I looked out of the window and saw the landslide. My husband, who had gone out to check the surroundings, told us to vacant the house.
“I grabbed my children and rushed out of the house. The next thing I knew, our house was buried by the landslide. It happened so fast,” said the housewife, whose children were aged between one and seven.
Jasrina’s family was among nine families currently seeking shelter at the Penampang sports complex hall here. The evacuation centre has registered 34 people, including 10 children and two babies.
Her husband Bonis Kolo, 35, said he had just returned from work about 7am and was in the kitchen when he saw trees collapsing from the hilly area.
“The landslip about 100m away hit my cousin’s house. The house was swept away by the massive landslide, which destroyed another house before moving towards our's.
“It was sheer panic and I shouted to my family to run to safer ground. Other neighbours were screaming too,” said the security guard, adding he immediately contacted his brother to inform him about the event.
Another evacuee Catherine Galap, 32, said they had no place to stay as most of those who were affected by the landslide were relatives.
Although her house was not affected, she said the area was no longer safe.
The evacuees urged the government to look into their plight and to consider providing the landslide victims with affordable homes under the People’s Housing Project at a safer location.
A civil defence personnel said a team had inspected the affected site yesterday morning and found most of the houses were unsafe for occupation as there were still soil movements.
Since Friday, aid in a form of food, diapers, mattresses and camps, among others, were distributed to the evacuees.
Red Crescent Penampang chairman Datin Seri Celestina Jinu, who was present to check on the evacuees, said their members were ever ready to provide necessary assistance to victims of natural disaster.
“Usually we will do mass cooking to ensure evacuees have enough to eat and their wellbeing is taken care,” she said.
All 34 evacuees will be moved to Dewan Sri Kepayan in the state capital tomorrow.