RANAU: Landslides were reported in many parts of the district on Monday, damaging homes, a kindergarten, bridge and surau.
Among the villages affected are Kg Mohimbiyon, Kg Lembah Permai, Kg Kinasaraban Kundasang and Jalan Kinasaraban Bundu Tuhan.
Head of Ranau Fire and Rescue Station (BBP), PPgB Ridwan Mohd Taib said the partly collapsed bridge in Kg Mohimboyon was the main route for the villagers.
“The incident occurred owing to the surging river water and called on the BBP team for immediate inspection of the area and its surrounding for safety.
“After doing a safety assessment at the site, the team put barricades to block the passage so that the locals could not pass through it,” he said.
On the landslides that covered the main road and eroded the ground of a house in Kg Kinasaraban, Ridwan said they had conducted monitoring at the site.
“Other agencies are involved in the monitoring. There have been no injuries involving villagers or civilians so far.
“The situation in the known area has been brought under control.
Hundreds if not thousands of stones were washed away by torrential water in landslides in Kg Kinasaraban, Kundasang.
“The fire department only provides advisory services to be cautious with dangerous slope areas, particularly during this rainy season,” he said.
According to Hanson, a resident of Kg. Kinasaraban, this is not the first time a landslide has occurred.
“But this time heavy rain fell for only 20 minutes, causing a worse landslide.
“Thousands of small and large boulders are carried along with the mud from the hillside by the torrential water.
“Big rocks blocked the path for all heavy and small vehicles, and our house was filled with rocks and thick mud,” he said.
Hanson said that he and other villagers tried to contact the Civil Defence Department (APM) and the BBP team but they only came to monitor.
“We had to remove large blocks of stones without the help of any machinery.
Several areas in Ranau were hit by flash floods due to a continuous heavy rain, Wednesday.
“We lifted all the rocks and dug ditches that were clogged with rocks and mud to let water flow and made sure the road was accessible.
“Fortunately the rain subsided, reducing the rush of water coming down from the hill,” he said.
