KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 ― The flood situation in Pahang, Perak and Kelantan generally showed an improvement this morning when the number of victims dropped to 18,210 compared with 21,366 last night.

However, Terengganu was again flooded with an increase in the number of victims to 273 this morning from 125 victims last night.

The increase in the number of victims in Terengganu was due to the heavy rain in the interior regions resulting in houses in the low-lying areas and near the river banks being inundated, besides the high-tide factor.

A spokesman of the National Security Council (MKN) Terengganu said five evacuation centres had been opened in two districts so far, namely in Kemaman with 160 victims and Dungun (113 victims).

In Pahang, the number of victims declined to 11,819 who were being sheltered at 57 relief centres in six districts compared with 14,494 victims last night.

A spokesman at the Flood Operations Room of the Pahang Contingent Police Headquarters said the Pekan district still had the most number of victims with 7,414 followed by Maran (2,618 victims), Kuantan (1,012), Temerloh (611) and Bera (164).

The spokesman said two major roads in Raub, namely at Kilometer 1 Felda Kerau Road and Kilometer 39 Bentong-Raub Road which were closed previously had been reopened to all traffic.

In Perak, a spokesman of the Perak MKN said the number of victims in the state dropped to 3,601 people from 959 families.

Currently, there were 20 evacuation centres in five districts namely in Perak Tengah, Hulu Perak, Hilir Perak, Manjung and Kuala Kangsar.

The number of victims in Perak Tengah this morning was 2,649, Hulu Perak (289), Hilir Perak (394), Manjung (160) and in Kuala Kangsar (109).

Meanwhile in Kelantan, the number of victims was unchanged from the figure recorded last night which was 2,749 victims from 602 families.

A Kelantan MKN spokesman said that four districts were still flooded with 27 evacuation centres opened in Kuala Krai (1,399 victims), Gua Musang (1,157), Tanah Merah (93) and Machang (100).

In Selangor, 41 victims who were sheltered at the Dewan Kampung Chinchang, Sepang due to the flash flood in the area yesterday remained unchanged this morning.

Selangor Fire and Rescue Assistant Director of Operations, Mohd Sani Harul said the department was taking precautionary measures by evacuating all the affected victims to avoid undesired incidents.

He said that in Taman Desa Indah, all the victims who were evacuated yesterday evening had been allowed to return to their respective homes when the water began to recede at about 8.30pm. 

Yesterday, flash floods were reported in three locations in Sepang due to continuous rain since noon which had raised the water level in Kampung Chinchang, Taman Desa Indah and Jalan Sepang-Salak Tinggi. ― Bernama