KOTA KINABALU – Nearly 400 residents fled low-lying villages in Kota Marudu as heavy overnight rains sparked fresh flooding across northern Sabah, with ongoing evacuations reported in neighboring Pitas and Paitan districts.
District authorities activated Disaster Management Operations Centres between 10am and 2pm after spotting multiple flood hotspots. This marks the second major deluge for Paitan and Pitas, still mending from February 18 floods that displaced over 5,000 people.
Kota Marudu district officer Meirin Sugara declared a disaster at 10am, citing field reports of inundated areas and launching aid plus rescues. Firefighters airlifted 25 people, including 14 children and a baby, from Kg Beliajung after an 8am distress call, relocating them to a Tandek evacuation centre. By 4pm, relief teams tallied 390 evacuees while eyeing Pitas and Paitan, where over 30 high-risk souls shifted.
Paitan district officer Joloning Joe Majambu sounded the alarm at 11am amid surging waters, though affected kampungs remained unspecified in this repeat wave. Pitas district officer Asdi Mohd Faizal Hussin followed at 2pm, declaring disaster in the February-flooded zone.