THE Kedah government will provide temporary accommodation to people whose houses were swept away by floods in Kupang near Baling yesterday.

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the state government will rent houses for the victims while they build new houses on safe sites.

“A total of 627 flood victims from 12 villages were reported. Nine houses were washed away. Five others were badly damaged while the rest were flooded and their property damaged,” he said at a press conference at the flood command post in Kampung Ibor near Baling today.

“For the people of the nine houses, the state government will help provide temporary accommodation, rent some houses for them while they build new homes.”

He said it is not safe to rebuild houses on the original site as the previously deep river has become shallow.

“Replacement houses will be built if they have a safer site. We are worried that if the houses are built on the original site with the shallow river nearby, water could overflow easily,” he said.

Sanusi said government agencies are also assessing the damage to infrastructure due to the floods.

“Among those identified so far are the bridge that connects Kampung Ibor with Kampung Bendang Bechah and several roads,” he said. – Bernama, July 5, 2022.