KUCHING, Jan 16: Five primary schools in Sarawak with a total of 379 pupils were forced to close today due to floods, with Miri in the north being the worst affected.
The State Disaster Management Committee said a total of 15 schools throughout the state were affected with five of them remaining closed due to the severity of the flooding.
The five schools include three in Miri — Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sungai Bong, SK Kuala Bok, and SK Rumah Ranggong, and two other schools SK Kuala Kenyana in Mukah and SK Nanga Bon in Sibu.
Meanwhile, nine schools including six in Miri were also hit by floods but remained open.
The schools in Miri are SK Sungai Manong, SK Sungai Kelabit, SK Sungai Seputi, SK Pengarah Enteri, SK Sungai Peking and SK Long Teru.
Three other schools are in Sibu — SK Sungai Anak, SK Sungai Buloh and SK Iban Union.
Some of the roads leading to the schools were completely flooded with vehicles unable to pass through at all.
Meanwhile, in Bintulu, some 350 students and 25 teachers from SK Bukit Balai were also affected as water flooded at least two inches of some of the classrooms as at 10am this morning.
According to the Sarawak Meteorological Office website, the state is forecast to experience rain and thunderstorms for the next one week. — DayakDaily
