KOTA BARU, Jan 13 — The number of flood evacuees in Kelantan rose to 1,629 this evening while that in Pahang dropped to just nine.

The official portal of the Kelantan government said the evacuees, up from 1,423 this morning, were being housed at eight relief centres.

The rise in the number of evacuees in the Pasir Mas district was due to the overflow of the Golok River in Rantau Panjang, it said.

Many of the traders in the Rantau Panjang free trade zone did not open for business today because light vehicles could not enter the flooded area.

The level of the Golok River in Rantau Panjang at 5 pm was 10.34 metres, way above the danger point of nine metres.

The alternative road between Rantau Panjang and Jeli remains closed to light vehicles as a stretch at Panglima Bayu is flooded.

The portal also said that all the relief centres in the Tanah Merah district had been closed after the 199 flood evacuees accommodated there were allowed to return to their homes this morning.

In KUANTAN, only nine evacuees remained at the relief centre at the Kampung Beralas community hall in the Lipis district.

A spokesman of the Pahang Police flood operations room said their houses were still flooded to a depth of more than one metre.

He said seven evacuees housed at the relief centre at the Kampung Paya Teh community hall in the Jerantut district were allowed to return to their homes at noon. — Bernama