Sungai Engkun Bridge Collapses After Strong Currents, Villagers Cut Off
TANJUNG MALIM: The Sungai Engkun bridge in the Cegar Macang area of Kampung Guntong here collapsed after being swept away by strong currents following flooding that occurred yesterday.
The incident severed the main access route used by residents and disrupted the daily activities of hundreds of villagers in the area.
Behrang assemblywoman Salina Samsudin said the damage was believed to have been caused by a sudden rise in river water levels combined with erosion affecting the bridge structure.
According to her, the relevant authorities are taking immediate action to ensure residents’ safety while working on solutions to restore transportation access to the affected area.
“The incident has greatly affected residents because the bridge served as the main route for the local community’s daily activities,” she said.
She added that urgent efforts would be carried out to assist affected residents and ensure conditions in the area return to normal.
Continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days reportedly caused water levels in Sungai Engkun to rise rapidly before strong currents eroded the lower part of the bridge structure, eventually causing it to collapse.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Perak State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said several other districts were also affected by bad weather and flooding.
According to the spokesperson, the districts of Larut, Matang and Selama continue to record flood-related impacts, with a temporary evacuation centre opened at Sekolah Kebangsaan Matang Gelugor to shelter affected residents.
As of now, 37 evacuees from nine families have been placed at the relief centre.
In another development, the evacuation centre at Dewan Serbaguna Kampung Klah Baru in Batang Padang has been closed after flood conditions improved and residents were allowed to return home.
Authorities are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions and river water levels amid concerns of further flooding should heavy rain continue.
-wilayah.com.my
