AT least one person died while 114 people were displaced after floods hit 23 villages in the Penampang district last night. 

The body of the female victim was found by rescuers around 8am after being swept away by strong currents at the Penampang bypass roundabout near Donggongon town.

The woman was reported missing and feared drowned around 1.45am, while her husband was rescued by Civil Defence Force personnel. 

The woman was on her way home with her husband after sending food assistance to other flood victims when their vehicle was swept away by strong currents around the location. 

The Fire and Rescue Department reported 112 people have been placed at the Penampang Cultural Hall while a couple were placed at Dewan Sri Putatan. 

The Civil Defence Force, meanwhile, expects the number of victims to rise today as rescue operations continue. 

Penampang was declared in a state of disaster around 6pm yesterday evening. This is the second-worst flood to hit Penampang in nearly three years. 

Incessant rain starting around 1pm yesterday saw several districts including Penampang, Telipok, and Sipitang hit with flash floods around 5pm. 

The high tide phenomenon occurring around 4pm further compounded the problem as the flow of rainwater to the sea was choked in the local waterways. 

Several major roads have been rendered impassable by the state Public Works Department. Two Keningau-Tenom roads and a Penampang-Tambunan one have been closed to traffic following the incident as the department reported several landslides along these roads. – July 1, 2024