ROMPIN, March 1 — A Bailey bridge will be built immediately on the main road heading to Felda Selancar here after a section collapsed due to overflowing water early this morning.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said construction would begin as soon as the equipment arrives at the location and work is expected to be completed within 48 to 72 hours.
He also said that he had instructed National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus to prepare the allocation, and contacted Army Chief Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zain to deploy the Royal Army Engineers Regiment to build the bridge.
“Thousands of residents in Felda Selancar are affected because this is the main road that connects them to many areas of Pahang and Johor.
“This (Bailey bridge) is a temporary measure to ensure that this route can be used again before the new road is built by the Public Works Department,” he said after a visit to the site today.
In the meantime, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Central Disaster Management Committee chairman, said he was informed that over 100 students could not sit for the ongoing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) today as the examination papers could not be brought to the schools.
At the same time, efforts are being made to ensure that one resident who needs to undergo dialysis can seek treatment as soon as possible, he said.
Earlier today, Rompin district police chief DSP Mohd Azahari Mukhtar said a section of the road was believed to have collapsed at 4am and had to be closed to all vehicles.
In a related development, Ahmad Zahid hoped that residents in flood-prone areas would take precautions and adhere to authorities’ instructions to avoid untoward incidents as the Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued continuous rain warning for many areas. — Bernama
