Floods: Number of evacuees continues to rise

KUALA LUMPUR: Continuous heavy rain has resulted in several low-lying areas in seven states to be flooded and more people are being evacuated to relief centres on Sunday (Jan 2) morning.

In SABAH, Telupid and Sandakan are the two latest districts to be hit by the floods, after Kota Marudu, Paitan and Beluran.

The State Disaster Management Secretariat, in a statement, said with the additional two districts, the number of flood evacuees had increased to 717 people, involving 212 families, from 566 people (182 families) last night.

It said 16 areas in Paitan were affected by the floods, followed by Kota Marudu (10), Telupid (two) and one each in Beluran and Sandakan.

Kota Marudu remained the district with the highest number of flood victims, with 253 of them (97 families) at the relief centre at SMK Tandek, while another 251 victims (70 families) were at the relief centre at SK Teritipan.

In MELAKA, the number of evacuees rose to 1,122 people, involving 279 families at 8 am today, from 677 people (173 families) at 8 pm yesterday.

Melaka Civil Defence Department director Lt Kol (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said all the victims were from 11 areas in Alor Gajah, Melaka Tengah (11 areas) and Jasin (three areas).

“A total of 653 victims, involving 172 families, are at eight relief in Alor Gajah, while 437 victims (101 families) are at two centres in Melaka Tengah, and another 32 victims (six families) are at a relief centre in Jasin,” he said in a statement Sunday (Jan 2).

In JOHOR, the number of flood evacuees in the Segamat and Tangkak districts continued to rise, totaling 1,646 people (425 families) at 8am Sunday, from 1,167 people (297 families) at 8pm Saturday (Jan 1).

State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said eight more relief centres were activated in Segamat, namely at Balai Raya Pogoh Tengah, Balai Raya Kampung Pudu, SJK (Cina) Kampung Tengah, Balai Islam Kampung Gubah, Sekolah Agama Gemereh, Balai Raya Kampung Bukit Tunggal Baru, Balai Raya Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Mendusut Lama and Bangunan GPW Felda Mendoi, bringing the total number of relief centres in the district to 27. Only one relief centre had been opened in Tangkak.

Rain is reported in eight districts, while in Tangkak and Pontian, the weather is cloudy, he said.

Water in two major rivers in the state is still above the danger level, namely Sungai Segamat in Bandar Segamat and Sungai Tangkak in Kampung Sri Makmur, Tangkak.

In PAHANG, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that there were 1,804 flood victims at 39 relief centres in eight districts.

Of the total, 649 people are victims of the second wave of floods in the Raub, Lipis, Bera, Maran and Rompin districts.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s (DID) website, water in six rivers in the state is still above the danger level.

They are Sungai Tanum at Chegar Perah, Sungai Lipis at Benta and Sungai Jelai, all in Lipis, as well as Sungai Pahang at Paya Gintong, Jerantut; Sungai Serting at Padang Gudang, Bera and Sungai Luit at Kampung Subuh, Maran.

The Meteorological Department forecasts rain in all districts in Pahang on Sunday.

In NEGRI SEMBILAN, the latest data on the Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana application showed that there were 1,767 flood victims from 460 families at 16 relief centres in the state as at 7am Sunday.

In KELANTAN, the number of flood victims remained at 308 people (109 families) at five relief centres, comprising four in Kuala Krai and one in Jeli as at 8am Sunday.

Meanwhile, the DID’s official portal reported that the water in all major rivers in the state has receded to below the danger level, with four rivers still above warning level and they are Sungai Kelantan at Kuala Krai, Sungai Kelantan at Kusial, Tanah Merah and Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas.

In TERENGGANU, the number of evacuees remained at 147 people (44 families) at three relief centres on Sunday morning.

In Dungun, the number of victims at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Shukor remained at 68 people (20 families), Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Pasir Raja (69 people from 22 families) and at Surau Kampung Ban Ho in Kemaman (10 people from two families).

The water in major rivers in the state has also receded to below the danger level, with three rivers still above the warning level, namely Sungai Besut at Jambatan Keruak, Besut; Sungai Nerus at Kampung Langkap, Setiu and Sungai Kemaman at Rumah Pam Paya Paman, Kemaman. – Bernama