KUALA KRAI, Dec 31 ― The trauma of the big floods in December 2014 has prompted residents in the low-lying areas of Kuala Krai to evacuate immediately to relief centres when their village became flooded following intense rain since early this morning. 

Several flood victims when met by Bernama, said they did not want to undergo last minute evacuation anymore as experienced in 2014 as it risked their lives.

Among the villages affected by the floods are Kampung Keroh, Kampung Bedal and Guchil, causing the villagers to move to relief centres, in stages, since 8am.

A Kampung Bedal resident, Khadtijah Mohd Noor, 60, said she retreated to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Keroh using a family boat at 9am, with her four children, aged between 15 and 20, when the flood at her house rose to knee-level.

Meanwhile, senior citizen Bidah Daud, 71, said the evacuation reminded her of the tragic floods two years ago.

"I came here earlier, boarding a villager’s boat, at 7am, as I feared that if I did not leave early it would be harder for me to save myself as I lived alone,” she added.

Suhaimi Yunos, 47, who was housed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bedal said he began salvaging important items since 5am today, before waking up his wife and three children at 7am to prepare to move to the evacuation centre at 9am.

Kuala Krai Fire and Rescue Station chief, Assistant Fire Officer Mohamad Hanif Che Khalid said they received an emergency call from the villagers at 8.30am, calling for assistance to be sent to the evacuation centre as their house was flooded.

He praised the cooperative attitude of the villagers which enabled the authorities to carry out rescue operations.

To date, 263 victims from 64 families have been transferred to six centres in Kuala Krai.

An observation carried out found that the Kuala Krai-Kota Baru route at Sungai Durian faced massive traffic congestion following the overflow of water in the area. ― Bernama