SEVERAL areas on the Sabah west coast of Sabah were hit by flash floods, landslides and subsidence following several hours of heavy rain this afternoon. 

A spokesman for the Sabah Civil Defence Force when contacted said officers are monitoring several areas around Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran that were hit by flash floods, including Likas, Penampang, Menggatal, Tebobon, Kolombong, Telipok, Rugading and Gayang.

Several roads were also flooded, causing traffic congestion on Jalan Tuaran Bypass, Jalan Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan Kibabaig Penampang, Jalan Likas, Jalan Menggatal and Jalan Kayu Madang.

“It is still raining in several areas tonight, but not as heavy as earlier today. Road users are advised to be cautious because some roads are still inundated. So far, there has been no report of any untoward incidents,” the spokesman said.

Sabah Fire and Rescue Department assistant operations director Hamsa Isnurdini said there was a report of a landslide at the Telipok Settlement Scheme in Tuaran this afternoon.

He said they received the report at 3.41pm and found two non-permanent-type houses destroyed in the incident.

“One house was occupied while the other wasn’t. No one was injured and the operation ended at 5.25pm after we found there was no risk of any danger at the location,” he said.

The Sabah Public Works Department said subsidence (soil movement) was detected in the Telupid area due to heavy rain, causing part of Jalan Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan near Kampung Lumou to be impassable.

Yesterday, the Meteorological Department forecast thunderstorms with heavy rain and strong winds western Sabah waters and northern Sarawak for three days from tomorrow. 

The situation is thought to be due to a low-pressure system set to develop in the west of the Philippines, which will move northwest towards southern China. – Bernama, July 12, 2023.