Military Ferries Flood-Stranded Students, Teachers In Labi
By Liza Mohd

Bandar Seri Begawan - Stranded residents in the flood-affected areas of Mukim Labi and Mukim Bukit Sawat received transportation assistance from the Third Battalion of the Royal Brunei Land Forces.

Military trucks were deployed to affected areas to carry people, including young students who waited as early as 5.30am at the transportation waiting area to attend the first day of the school second term yesterday.

Meanwhile, teachers and staff teaching at the remote primary schools of Labi, Chung Hua and Bukit Sawat were ferried by the military to their work places. They parked their vehicles at the waiting area.

Armed forces personnel, firefighters and police were deployed to guard vehicles trapped in the floodwaters, offer towing assistance, and monitor the water levels.

This is the worst flooding the mukim has encountered as the water levels rose rapidly and no vehicles, except for big trucks or heavy lorries, were able to pass, through, said Awg Ahmad Sarkawe bin Hj Pungut, a teacher at Labi Primary School for five years.

He said he made this observation after he compared the flood occurrences in the mukim during the past years.

A military official based at the Sungai Mau multi-purpose hall said the operation began in full force since Saturday as water levels rose incessantly.

With no rain recorded for the past three days, the water level is receding steadily, he said.

Vans and four wheel vehicles which attempted to cross the Kampong Beluhur flood path were stranded as water levels were still high and the flood washed away the road surface, he said.

Yesterday morning, the one-kilometre stretch along Bukit Puan road was still inundated with floodwaters.

Based on past experience, the military official predicted the floodwaters will completely subside within a week, in the absence of rain.

Flood water levels are still high on Jalan Beluhur, Sungai Mau, Merangking, Sungai Petai and Rukit Puan. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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