KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 18 — The Terengganu branch of the National Security Council(MKN) disaster operations room in Terengganu was activated at 5.30 pm today when three districts in the state were hit by floods. 

State MKN acting secretary Roslina Ngah said the operations room will stay open round-the-clock to monitor all flood operations in the areas involved. 

She said as at 6 pm, Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Nerus districts were flooded with 67 victims evacuated while several low lying areas in Setiu were also affected.

The victims are now sheltered at two relief centres, 38 people in Sekolah Kebangsaan Cendering here while 29 people are housed at the Gong Badak Civics Centre in Kuala Nerus. 

Meanwhile, several main roads were closed to light traffic this evening after being inundated by 0.3 to 0.5 metres of water. 

A spokesman of the state Works Department operations room said among the roads involved were Jalan Chalok-Kampung Bukit Putera in Setiu, Jalan Kuala Terengganu-Section 425 Kuantan near Kampung Bandar, Kerteh, Kemaman and Jalan Kubang Tangga- Section 0.5 Kuala Terengganu.

Members of the public can obtain the latest information on the flood situation by contacting the state disaster operations room at 09-6316021 or via its website at etindakan.terengganu.gov.my.

Meanwhile, in Kuala Nerus, about 45 families from Taman Desa Tanjung Damai were forced to evacuate their homes when flood waters rose this evening.

All victims were relocated to Sekolah Kompleks Gong Badak at about 4.30pm after the entrance to their houses were flooded with knee-level water.

A victim, Zurawati Abdullah, 40, said she was shocked to water at knee-level at her house when she returned from work.

“My husband and I quickly moved out important belongings to a higher level to prevent damage,” she said.

In this regard, MKN in its website etindakan.terengganu.gov.my warned of orange level heavy rain in the state.

Heavy rain is expected to continue tonight in Dungun, Besut, Setiu, Kuala Terengganu, Hulu Terengganu, Marang and Kemaman.  

Meanwhile, the water level of two rivers in Setiu namely Sungai Chalok at Chalok bridge and Sungai Nerus at Kampung Langkap had reached dangerous levels at 9.58 metres and 22.58 metres respectively.

In Pahang, a family of six in Kampung Cherating Baru in Kuantan became the first victims of floods in the state.

The family was evacuated to Sekolah Rendah  Kebangsaan Cherating at around 4pm after water rose to almost two metres at their home.

A spokesman at the flood operations room at the state police headquarters said there were no other reports of floods in the state. — Bernama