Sarawak capital underwater after overnight rain

KUCHING CITY — Heavy overnight rain, coupled with a 5.5m king tide which peaked at 7.30am, has left Kuching city, Sarawak, underwater.

Flood waters have reportedly entered the police headquarters at Jalan Badruddin, the Sarawak general hospital and even a hotel, and roads leading to the police headquarters and hospital are under a metre of water at certain stretches.

This is the first time the hospital has been hit in Sarawak's flood season and services on the ground floor, such as the pharmacy, have reportedly been moved to another floor.

Main roads like Jalan Tun Openg, Jalan Batu Lintang have turned into a river, forcing motorists to take diversions to reach their destinations.

Many city folk were unaware of the severity of the floods and early morning motorists were left stranded on roads.

The Fire and Rescue Services Department headquarters at Jalan Batu Lintang is also underwater.

Kpg Tabuan Dayak, a village about 3km from the city centre, was waist-deep in water and residents have been placed on alert for possible evacuation.

The Fire and Rescue Services Department reported the water level had begun to recede with the tide.

But if the rain does not subside, Kuching residents, especially on the western side of the city, and those living along Sungai Sarawak, are bracing for another flood when the king tide – the last of the month – sets in at 6.39pm today.

There are no reports yet on the situation in flood-prone outlying areas although the Civil Defence Department in the media WhatsApp chat group reported that there have been no evacuations so far. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER