KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah Fire and Rescue Department carried out a humanitarian mission to deliver food baskets to about 500 residents in eight villages near Pensiangan after access to the villages were cut off following a landslide on September 5.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Department Operations Centre in a statement informed that 10.45 tonnes of food aid were delivered to the affected areas, of which, eight tonnes were from the Department of Social Welfare and 2.45 tonnes were from a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
“The Fire Department’s Mi-171 chopper and an AW 139 helicopter belonging to the Royal Malaysia Police were used to deliver the food baskets which were prepared by the Nabawa Disaster Management Committee in collaboration with Forces of Love, an NGO,” read the statement.
A total of 33 officers and firefighters were involved in the mission which was led by Sabah Fire and Rescue director Abdul Razak Muda.
“This is our second mission, the first was conducted on September 12 involving 2.3 tonnes of food aid which were distributed to the people affected using water transport,” he said in the statement.
The villages affected were Kg Kabu, Kg Saliliran, Kg Siatu, Kg Simohong, Kg Karampalon, Kg Babayasing, Kg Dobolon and Kg Sibangali.
Following the landslide on September 5, several roads were closed to vehicles and it was dangerous to use water transport vehicles to gain access to the villages. – September 27, 2023