KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — The flood situation in the east coast states of Terengganu and Kelantan continued to worsen with close to 23,000 people having been evacuated to relief centres as at noon today.

Floods caused by heavy rain overnight also struck 10 villages in northern Sabah as 135 people from 27 families were moved to safety in Kampung Rukom Ulu near Pitas. 

A total of 12,910 residents from 3,550 families were affected by flooding in Terengganu, with 139 relief centres currently in operation.

In Kelantan, the floods affected 10,041 people from 3,334 families, with 74 relief centres having been opened.

Terengganu and Kelantan had 10,734 and 8,640 flood victims, respectively, this morning.

The worsening floods forced the closure of 63 schools in Terengganu today, a move that affected 16,938 students and 1,949 teachers.

The original intention was to close 24 schools but heavy rain overnight flooded or cut off access to 39 other schools, said Terengganu Education director Shafruddin Ali Hussin.

The Kelantan State Education Department yesterday said that the closure of 48 schools in the state today would affect 15,084 students.

People had to resort to various means to get to work, a case in point being some 50 staff of Hulu Terengganu Hospital who braved the floods to come to work in backhoes.

In Sabah, Sabah Civil Defence Force director Col Muliadi Al-Hamdi Ladin said the 10 flood-hit villages were Kampung Bilangau Besar, Kampung Rukom Ulu, Kampung Sinasak Batu, Kampung Sibaung, Kampung Kusilad, Kampung Pandan Mendamai, Kampung Salimpodon Darat, Kampung Pinggan-Pinggan, Kampung Indah and Kampung Dandun. — Bernama