Floods in east coast states worsen, more than 9,000 people evacuated

KUALA LUMPUR: The flood situation on the east coast of the peninsula worsens with more than 9,000 residents, involving more than 3,000 families, being evacuated to relief centres as at 8 am today.

In TERENGGANU, the number of victims continued to increase to 7,780 people from 1,822 families as of 8 am today, compared to 7,403 people from 1,786 families at 4 pm yesterday.

However, head of the Secretariat of the State Disaster Management Committee, Lieutenant Colonel (PA) Che Adam A Rahman said the increase was not too worrying as the residents were evacuated as their houses were flooded due to the hide tide early today.

He said so far, 53 relief centres have been opened in four districts, namely 31 in Kemaman, Dungun (18), Hulu Terengganu (three) and Setiu (one).

"Kemaman is the worst affected district and continues to record an increase in the number of victims to 6,865 people from 1,570 families, compared to 6,623 people from 1,552 families yesterday afternoon, while the number of victims in Dungun increased to 807 people from 226 families compared to 663 (186 families), previously,” he told reporters today.

The situation in Hulu Terengganu has improved with a drop in the number of evacuees to 97 people from 23 families, compared to 106 people from 25 families yesterday afternoon, while in Setiu, the number of evacuees remained at 11 people, involving three families.

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department, through the portal http://infobanjir.water.gov.my, the water in two rivers in two districts in Terengganu is still above the danger level as of 8 am today, with Sungai Kemaman in Kampung Paman, Kemaman, recording 5.38 metres (m) , which is above the danger level of 4.5 m, while the reading at Sungai Dungun in Kuala Jengal, Dungun, was 21.03m (the danger level is 21m).

In KELANTAN, the number of flood evacuees in three districts continued to increase to 1,382 people as of 8 am today, compared to 1,214 people yesterday afternoon.

According to the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) Info Bencana, Pasir Mas is the most affected district with a total of 1,085 people from 410 families evacuated to 14 relief centres.

In Tanah Merah, a total of 143 victims from 39 families are at five relief centres, while in Kuala Krai, there are 153 flood victims from 43 families, who included three persons with disabilities (PwD) at five relief centres.

According to the infobanjir.water.gov.my, so far only Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang recorded a reading above the danger level of 10.34m (danger 9m), from three rivers yesterday, which have receded to above the warning level.

The three other rivers are Sungai Golok in Kuala Jambu, Tumpat, at 2.47m (warning level is 2.15m), Sungai Kelantan in Kusial, Tanah Merah, at 15.49m (warning level is 14.00m) and Sungai Kelantan in Kuala Krai 24.21m (warning level is 22.50m).

Apart from that, the river water at in three locations in the state shows readings at above the alert level, namely Sungai Golok in Jenob Tanah Merah 22.44m (alert level is 21.50m), Sungai Kelantan at Kota Bharu Customs Jetty 3.84m (alert level is 3.00m) and Sungai Galas in Dabong, Kuala Krai 32.98m (alert level is 32.00m).

Meanwhile, PAHANG recorded a total of 38 evacuees from six families and they are accommodated at two relief centres, namely Sungai Ular Community Hall, Kuantan (25 people from six families) and at Sekolah Kebangsaan Teh, Jerantut (13 people from two families).

According to the Pahang JKM Info Bencana portal, the readings at seven flood assessment points along the main rivers in the state are still at the warning level, namely Sungai Tembeling in Kuala Tahan, three locations along Sungai Pahang, namely Sungai Yap in Jerantut; Lubuk Pasu, Temerloh and Lubuk Paku, Maran, as well as several rivers in Kuantan, namely Sungai Kuantan in Pasir Kemudi, Sungai Belat, Sri Damai and Sungai Lepar at Jambatan Gelugor.

-- BERNAMA