Flash floods sweep southern Sarawak as 120 students and 14 teachers are evacuated from SK Segong in Bau by boat

KUCHING: Widespread flooding has struck several districts in southern Sarawak, including Kuching, Lundu, and Bau, following hours of relentless heavy rainfall that showed no sign of letting up.

In Bau district, an emergency evacuation operation was launched at Sekolah Kebangsaan Segong after the school compound was inundated by rising floodwaters. The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department confirmed in a midday press update that rescue teams had successfully evacuated 120 students and 14 teachers from the premises.

Rescue personnel deployed boats to ferry the students and staff out of the flooded school, transporting them safely back to their respective villages. The department added that its flood rescue teams were actively conducting rounds across all affected areas.

In Kuching, the state capital, numerous roads in both commercial districts and residential neighbourhoods were submerged by flash floods, triggering significant traffic disruptions during the morning rush hour.

The deluge coincided with a thunderstorm warning issued earlier in the day by the Malaysian Meteorological Department for southern Sarawak. The region remains in the grip of the tail-end of the monsoon season, which has been responsible for repeated and severe flooding events across Sarawak since November last year.

 The Sun Malaysia