Floodwater in Tutong no longer labelled dangerous

TUTONG, Jan 29: Floodwater levels in Tutong District are no longer classified as dangerous, but residents were advised to exercise caution at all times by the acting commanding officer at Tutong District ‘E’ Command yesterday.

Assistant Superintendent of Fire and Rescue (ASFR) Mohammad Shazwan Suhanie told The Brunei Times that floodwater levels had dropped as rainfall decreased over the last few days.

“Basically, the situation here in Mukim Lamunin is that the flooded roads have reduced from one metre to below danger level,” he said. However, residents are still advised to be careful as murky waters may hide dangers.

“There are some roads that are not visible due to the waters that are not transparent, especially during nighttime. There could be sharp objects or animals below there so we would advise villagers to limit their movement at nightfall. However, work for us will continue, especially when our operations are needed.”

Mohammad Shazwan said recent floods had caused no fatalities in Tutong – the worse-hit district in the Sultanate. He attributed this to greater awareness among residents of what to do during a natural disaster and the effectiveness of the Community-Based Disaster Risk Management Programme.

A pilot programme was launched in 2010 and residents were taught about risk assessment and response and what to do during a natural disaster before the emergency services arrived.

“Alhamdulillah, there have been no fatalities, and hopefully it will stay that way. It can be seen that the programme has been effective in a way. Most of the residents had moved out, looked for higher ground and they communicated to their village heads their situation during the floods. Some even managed to save their belongings and take them to higher ground before disaster hit. They have put what they have learnt into practice.”

source: The Brunei Times