Village In Kedah Turns Into A River After Gunung Jerai Disaster
A TikTok user uploaded a 15-second clip to highlight the devastating sight.
By Ahmad Hamizan @ Mike Miz — 27 Aug 2021, 05:14 PM
After an upstream water rush devastated the areas surrounding Gunung Jerai in Kedah, a once-populated village is now a river
The "mini-tsunami" swept across many areas of Kedah surrounding the mountain, causing floods which rose up to 1.5m in height at its peak.
Almost two weeks after, one of the worst-hit areas of Yan has seen a village transformed into a rapidly flowing stream of water.
A TikTok user uploaded a 15-second clip on 24 August which laid plain the devastating sight. The disposition of the rocks and sediments make it seem as though the river had always been there.
According to Sinar Harian, the person who recorded the clip is a volunteer who is stationed in the area. He confirmed that the river was indeed part of a populated village prior to the disaster, and that this was proof of "god's power".
The TikTok clip attracted many commenters to express their bewilderment, with a few trying to see the bright side of the situation
The original poster, Amyrul Myrul Hashim, commented that the wooden stilt in the middle of the clip used to be where a road had existed. It has since been swept away completely by the water.
Another user, @fisyadaud, commented that the current of the river looked very fast, belying the fact it had only just occured.
On the other hand, one user said that the river would provide the nearby inhabitants that were spared with relaxing white noises, adding that there was a divine reasoning for this incident.
One took it a step further, by suggesting that the villagers create a riverside resort àla Janda Baik in Pahang, and that they ought to "upgrade" the area with chalets and homestays.
Meanwhile, newly-minted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has promised to channel RM75 million ringgit worth of aid to the state
The aid was announced by Ismail on 23 August whilst he was visiting the affected areas to assess the scale of the damage.
According to Malay Mail, the aid will be to repair all damaged infrastructure and affected public facilities such as roads, irrigation systems, as well as financial assistance to the affected villagers.
Of the allocated sum, RM50 million will be channeled from the Ministry of Environment and Water; while the balance will come from the National Disaster Management Agency.
He also announced that families who lost a loved one will be compensated RM5,000 each, and those who have been displaced will be given RM500 per household.
As of 23 August, the official death toll stands at six, while an estimated 800 houses in Yan and a further 200 in Kuala Muda were confirmed to have been inundated by the floods.
