KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5 — The flood situation is improving with a drop in the number of evacuees in Kelantan, Terengganu and Sabah.

Kelantan had 13,496 evacuees this afternoon compared to 14,132 at noon while the number of evacuees in Terengganu dropped to 2,576 from 4,174 at noon.

Pitas district in Sabah has almost recovered from flood with only 178 evacuees compared to 214 at noon.

Kelantan Malaysia Civil Defence Force director Zainuddin Hussin said most of the evacuees were in Pasir Mas (10,127/3,763 families) followed by Tumpat (3,308/1,047 families).

Fifty evacuees from 12 families were in Kota Baru and 11 people from one family were in Machang. Thirty-eight relief centres were opened in Kelantan.

Most of the evacuees in Terengganu were in Dungun (812/212), followed by Hulu Terengganu (625/175), Kemaman (437/116), Kuala Terengganu (401/99), Setiu (234/50), Marang (39/13) and Besut (28/9).

They were placed at 34 relief centres.

In Sabah, the flood evacuees in Pitas district dropped to 178 people from 49 families as of 5pm, compared to 214 people from 66 families at noon.

State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat chief Col Mulliadi Al Hamdi Ladin said 168 evacuees were sheltered at the relief centre at SK Rukom while 10 at SK Pekan 2 Pitas.

Of 16 villages flooded, four had recovered namely, Kampung Bilangau Besar, Kampung Salimpodon Darat, Kampung Pinggan-Pinggan and Kampung Indah.

A total 72 schools in Kelantan and Terengganu and 10 in Sabah were closed due to floods today.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the schools did not have to replace the days closed as it was regarded as flood emergency leave. — Bernama