Ex-soldier and daughter killed in flood
Man was attempting to drive family to safety when river burst its banks
KULIM: Former soldier Johari Bakar, 76, told his children and wife to get into his car so that he could drive them to safety – but it was seconds too late.
The river near their kampung house burst its banks and a strong current swept him and his car away.
His wife Che Yang Ton, 53, clung to a guava tree while his son Azim Mazrin, 22, hugged a pillar of the car shed.
Johari’s daughter Nor Sari Danila, 14, was also swept away.
Rescuers found the girl’s body 1.5km away and Johari’s body was found 1km away, near SK Sungai Kob.
The current was just too strong, said the grieving Che Yang at Kulim Hospital’s Forensics Unit yesterday.
“We were just about to enter the car when the big wave came. It swept Johari and our car away.
“My daughter clung to the car shed like her brother, but the current was so strong that she lost her grip,” she cried.
She said her home in Kampung Baru Tambahan started to flood at about 11pm on Monday night.
“The four of us couldn’t sleep and sat in the living room.
“At about 1am, my husband asked us to get into his car and then tragedy struck.”
They were rescued by other villagers at about 3am yesterday.
The storm from 11.30pm on Monday to 3am yesterday also wreaked havoc in Penang.
Winds stronger than 50kph tore off a large glass wall on the first floor of the Bukit Mertajam train station in Permatang Rawa.
The wall went crashing down into the passenger waiting hall at about midnight.
Fortunately, no one was injured as the train station had shut down for the night.
Retiree Idris Zakaria, whose house in Kampung Permatang Rawa is behind the train station, said his home was inundated by about one metre of water.
“It floods here often and we learned our lesson. Most of our furniture are placed on platforms.
“But we are not spared the work of cleaning the mess left behind,” said Idris, 69, who is bedridden due to diabetes. His wife and son had to clean up.
Policemen at the traffic police headquarters in Jalan Datuk Ooh Chooi Cheng in Butterworth had to wade in ankle-deep water.
A 150m stretch off Jalan Kulim was closed as water rose up to knee level.
Central Seberang Prai OCPD Asst Comm Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said 20 areas in the district were hit including Taman Sukun, Taman Mangga, Taman Impian, Taman Desa Damai, Taman Makok, Taman Senangin, Kampung Permatang Rawa, Taman Tenggiri, Taman Permai Jaya, Kampung Kebun Sireh and Kampung Machang Bubok.
“Sixteen families comprising 67 people were evacuated to Ara Kuda Mosque.
“Trees fell in eight areas,” he said, adding that no casualties were reported.
One fallen tree crushed four cars at Pangsapuri Idaman in Taman Pauh.
We were just about to enter the car when the big wave came. Che Yang Ton