CDF deny opening Sembrong dam following flash floods
15 Sep 2022 08:34am
Civil Defence Force (CDF) logo from CDF's official website
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Johor Civil Defence Director Assistant Commissioner (PA) Kamal Mokhtar said so far his side had never issued any statement on the matter although a viral WhatsApp message has claimed otherwise.
"WhatsApp claims said that the CDF informed that the dam gate had been opened due to flash floods in Batu Pahat but we have not received any such information.
"We deny that it happened. The viral message was fake," he said when contacted by Bernama tonight.
Earlier, a viral message on WhatsApp claimed that CDF had opened the gates of Sungai Sembrong Dam following flash floods due to the heavy rain since this morning and high tide.
Meanwhile, the Secretariat of the Batu Pahat District Disaster Management Committee notified that 163 residents from 38 families from Taman Sri Panchor, Kampung Sengkuang, Kampung Baru Sri Gading, Pekan Seri Gading and Kampung Seri Tanjung in Batu Pahat were placed at a relief centre in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seri Gading.
According to the statement, the centre was opened and started operating at 1 pm today to house all the victims.
"The number of victims, 163 people from 38 families is the official number of residents involved in the flash flood as of 8 pm tonight. The flash floods in five locations occurred due to heavy rain from 1.30 am to 4 am and high tide," said the statement.
Earlier, Batu Pahat District Police Chief ACP Ismail Dollah reportedly said that an estimated 600 residents in several areas of Sri Gading were relocated to PPS SMK Sri Gading after their homes were flooded early this morning. - Bernama
