Floods strike Johor, more than 200 evacuated

Johor became the latest state to be struck by the floods after two districts saw rising flood waters today, while the situation in flood-hit Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak and Kedah saw little change

this afternoon.

In JOHOR, 214 people were moved out of their homes to five relief centres in the districts of Kluang and Muar today.

A spokesman of the Johor National Security Council (NSC) said 201 people from 46 families were evacuated in Kluang to four relief centres while 13 people were evacuated from Bukit Kepong in Muar to one centre.

"The evacuees in Kluang are being housed at the community halls in Kampung Paya Palembang; Mardi, Mukim Renggam and Kampung Mengkibol as well as Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Kencana. The evacuees in Bukit Kepong are staying at the village community hall," he said.

He also said that the floodwaters were rising as of this afternoon.

In KELANTAN, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin flew in to Kota Baharu for a first-hand look at the situation.

He ordered the deployment of more helicopters, boats and land vehicles to reach and help the affected people, the number of which had risen to over 32,000.

He also ordered that the food supplies at relief centres be increased from the current three-day stock to one week.

In TERENGGANU, the number of evacuees rose to 31,001 this afternoon from 30,147 in the morning. The evacuees are being housed at 98 relief centres in four districts.

The highest number of evacuees, 21,381, is in the district of Kemaman, followed by 7,979 in Dungun, 1,369 in Kuala Terengganu and 272 in Hulu Terengganu.

All the 317 evacuees in Besut were allowed to return to their homes today after the flood waters there receded.

Several roads remain closed to all vehicles, among them Jalan Chukai to Air Putih, Cheneh Mak Lagam and Jalan Chukai Utama.

In PAHANG, the number of evacuees remained at 35,736, with most of them - 19,924 - in the Kuantan district, according to a spokesman of the Pahang Police flood operations room.

In PERAK, the number of evacuees rose to 6,119 from 5,530 in the morning, with the affected districts being Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Perak Tengah.

Perak Tengah had the highest number of evacuees - 2,914, followed by Kuala Kangsar (2,579) and Hulu Perak (626).

In KEDAH, several people were allowed to return to their homes, leaving only 96 at two relief centres from the 157 this morning.

Kedah NSC assistant secretary (military) Maj Mohd Radzi Abd Hamid said the relief centres were at Dewan Petunas Felda Lubuk Merbau in the Padang Terap district and Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Kecil Ulu, Mukim Bagan Samak, in Bandar Baharu.

Two other relief centres in Padang Terap - the Kampung Tanjung Piring and Kampung Sungai Kap community halls - have been closed, he added.

The weather is fine from this morning and the floodwaters continue to recede.