Firemen help UPSR students sit for exam
TAWAU: The Fire and Rescue Services Department helped 17 UPSR candidates to sit for their examination by transporting them to dry grounds yesterday following a heavy downpour that flooded several areas in the district.
Tawau station chief Sharudy Delamin said the department received calls for help at 4.40am and came to the rescue of 10 students of SK Pasir Putih, two each at SJKC Kuok Ming, SK Tanjong Batu and SK Titingan and one student at SK Blok 31.
Sharudy said the department used boats and four-wheeldrive vehicles to fetch the students from their homes to dry grounds and after which their parents sent them to their schools.
He said the floods occurred at low-lying areas but no operations to relocate flood victims were carried out.
Meanwhile, Tawau Municipal Council president Alijus Sipil urged people staying in lowlying areas to stay away from the riverbanks and to always be prepared to shift with their important documents when the water level in their area rises.
Alijus said monitoring of the flood situation was being made with assistance from the Meteorological Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Public Works Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the local residents.
He added the District Environment Disaster Committee is always ready to face flood in view of the prevailing wet weather.