10,000 Kudat residents relieved as floods recede

About 10,000 residents from eight villages in Kudat, Sabah, breathed a sigh of relief after floods that occurred since noon Wednesday, have receded in the evening.

They comprised residents from Kampung Gumpa, Kampung Bak-Bak, Kampung Korina, Kampung Tamalang, Kampung Sikuati, Kampung Barambangon, Kampung Andap Jawa and Kampung Pangaraban.

Kudat district officer Sabdin Ibrahim said only Kampung Korina was submerged by flood waters but no residents had yet to be evacuated as the water level was still low at 2.49 metres.

However, the number of flood victims in Pitas bazaar had slightly increased this evening to 131 from 39 families compared to 103 from 33 families Wednesday afternoon.

Pitas district officer Bubudan Oti Majalu said all the victims were placed at the two flood relief centres at Sekolah Kebangsaan Rukom and Dewan Kampung Sinukab.

"We are now on the alert and constantly monitoring the situation from time to time to identify the areas hit by floods that need the residents to move to the flood evacuation centres," he said.

Meanwhile, floods in several other states did not showed any improvement with the number of flood victims in Kelantan remaining unchanged as at noon with 1,415 from 343 families housed at 21 relief centres.

In PAHANG, state police headquarters flood operations room spokesman said the number of flood victims also remained the same with 930 currently being placed at three relief centres in Temerloh.

In PERAK, the number of flood victims had dropped slightly from 1,918 at noon to 1,689 from 458 families Wednesday evening.

A spokesman from the Perak State Security Council (MKN) said there were 1,472 flood victims in Perak Tengah, Hilir Perak (183) and Hulu Perak (34) being placed in 10 flood relief centres.

In JOHOR, the state Disaster Disaster Operations Control Centre said a family of five was still at the relief centre at the Kampung Spang Loi community hall in Buloh Kasap, Segamat as at Wednesday evening.

At the same time, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the FT 62 route Jalan Pekan Tajau-Bandar Jengka, Maran which was closed since last Jan 11 due to road sediments, was now reopened for traffic.

"Repair works has been done using the bailey bridge installation method and the route has been reopened at 7pm and safe for road users," he said in a statement here.