KOTA KINABALU, Feb 21 — The number of flood victims in Sabah rose to 3,685 people from 1,593 families as of 8am today, up from 406 people from 124 families yesterday afternoon.

The Sabah State Disaster Management Committee said 18 temporary relief centres are now open across the affected districts, namely Pitas (30 villages affected), Kota Marudu (12 villages) and Paitan (five villages).  

In Kota Marudu, flood victims rose to 1,978 people from 925 families, up from 290 people from 90 families yesterday, all now in four relief centres.

In Pitas, flood victims rose to 1,515 people from 593 families, up from 116 people from 34 families yesterday, now housed in eight relief centres, while in Paitan, 192 people from 75 families are sheltering in six temporary centres.

All three districts were flooded at 6 am yesterday following several days of continuous rain.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasts morning rain in inland Sabah, with possible thunderstorms later in the day. — Bernama