KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — There was an increase in the number of flood victims at temporary evacuation centres (PPS) in Sabah, Johor, Melaka and Pahang this evening as the situation remained unchanged in Terengganu and Negri Sembilan while Kelantan has fully recovered, authorities say.
In Sabah, Pitas became the latest area to be hit by floods as total evacuees in the state rose to 1,249 from 432 this evening compared to 1,161 victims from 399 families at noon.
The Sabah Disaster Management Secretariat, in a statement, said one PPS was opened in Pitas, placing 36 victims from 10 families while Kota Marudu remained the district with the highest number of evacuees with 1,019 from 376 families house in seven PPS.
Three PPS have been opened in Telupid housing 43 victims from eight families and another two more in Paitan housing 52 victims from 13 families, it said.
The secretariat added that one PPS in Beluran was housing 38 evacuees from eight families and another in Sandakan had 61 victims and 17 families currently.
The secretariat also said that 21 areas in Pitas were cut off and three other areas were affected, while Kota Marudu was the district with the most affected areas, at 30, followed by Paitan (23), Telupid (16) and one area each in Sandakan and Beluran.
In Johor, the number of flood victims in the three affected districts has increased to 2,022 people as of 4pm today, compared with 1,827 people reported at noon.
State Health and Environment Committee chairman, R. Vidyananthan said there are 37 PPS currently open in Segamat, Tangkak and Kota Tinggi districts.
“Segamat continues to record the highest number of evacuees with 1,950 people from 491 families. A total of 31 villages, three housing estates and surrounding areas have been affected.
“Meanwhile, 40 people from 10 families have been evacuated in Tangkak, involving Kampung Sri Makmur, followed by Kota Tinggi which has 32 people from 11 families, involving Kampung Bukit Raja Darat, Pengerang and Kampung Baru Mawai,” he said in a statement.
According to the website publicinfobanjir, four rivers have exceeded their danger levels as of 4.15pm, Sungai Tangkak in Kampung Seri Makmur, Tangkak at 4.4 metres (m); Sungai Segamat in Bandar Segamat at 9.18m; Sungai Muar in Buloh Kasap, Segamat at 9.33m and Sungai Lenik in Ladang Chaah, Segamat at 6.06m.
In Melaka, the number of evacuees continued to rise, with 1,661 people from 429 families this evening compared to 1,225 people from 313 families at noon today.
Melaka Civil Defence Force director Lt Col (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said they were from 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine areas in Melaka Tengah and four areas in Jasin.
“A total of 720 evacuees from 195 families are being housed in 10 centres in Alor Gajah, 868 from 217 families in seven centres in Melaka Tengah and 73 people from 17 families in two centres in Jasin,” he said in a statement.
In Pahang, the state disaster management committee secretariat reported that there were 2,058 evacuees at 48 centres in eight districts this evening.
Of that number, 995 were victims from the second wave floods in Raub, Lipis, Jerantut, Maran, Bera and Rompin while the rest were evacuees from the major floods which struck in the middle of December in Temerloh and Pekan.
Seven roads have been closed, namely, Jalan Sungai Lembing and Jalan Kuantan-Kuala Lumpur near the Bukit Gambang Resort both in Kuantan and Jalan Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan (Maran), Jalan Kuantan-Segamat (Pekan), Jalan Kuala Lipis-Jerantut (Jerantut) and Jalan Temerloh-Jerantut and also Jalan Paya Luas-Perlok in Temerloh.
In Terengganu, the number of flood victims remained at 137 victims from 42 families this evening and at two PPS in Dungun.
State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat head, Lieutenant Colonel (PA) Mohd Rosman Abdullah said, two PPS are still in operation at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Shukor with 68 evacuees from 20 families and Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Pasir Raja (69 victims from 22 families).
“Even though floodwaters have subsided all the victims are not allowed to go home at the moment. If the weather changes for the better, we expect to allow them to go home tomorrow afternoon,” he said.
In Negri Sembilan, updates on the Welfare Department’s (JKM) Disaster Info application showed that that the number of flood victims in 19 relief centres in the state has dropped to 1,973 individuals from 532 families as of 4pm today compared with 2,166 from 555 families at noon.
Meanwhile, Kelantan JKM director Said Sidup said the state has fully recovered from the floods that hit on December 18 at 4pm today after the closure of three relief centres in Kuala Krai and Jeli due to improved weather conditions.
He said a total of 225 people from 94 families housed in the three relief centres were allowed to return home.
According to JKM’s Disaster Info site, the highest number of flood victims in Kelantan was recorded on December 20 involving 3,801 people from 1,098 families housed in 57 relief centres in Kuala Krai, Gua Musang, Pasir Mas, Jeli and Tanah Merah.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said four deaths were recorded due to floods in the state involving individuals aged between 13 and 65. — Bernama
