Floods: Number of evacuees in several states drops

KUALA LUMPUR: The flood situation in several states has improved with more evacuees having returned home.

In TERENGGANU, the number of evacuees dropped to 117 as of 3 pm today from 1,074 this morning.

State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat head, Lt Kol (PA) Che Adam A Rahman said floods in Dungun had fully recovered with the closure of three relief centres in Kampung Shukor, Kampung Pasir Raja and Kampung Minda at 10 am, while five relief centres in Kemaman are still operational.

"However, the alert weather warning is still in effect for the other six districts, namely Setiu, Besut, Hulu Terengganu, Marang, Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Nerus," he told reporters today.

The number of evacuees in PERAK has also dropped from 1,237 this morning to 630 as of 2 pm.

A spokesman for the Perak State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said victims were housed at seven relief centres in three affected districts namely Hilir Perak (515), Muallim (82) and Kampar (33), while six centres were closed, three in Muallim, one each in Hilir Perak, Kampar and Kuala Kangsar.

The infobanjir.water.gov.my portal reported only Sungai Perak in Kampung Gajah had reached the alert level of 6.79 metres as of 2 pm.

In SELANGOR the flood situation continues to improve when two of four relief centres namely Kampung Baru A community hall and Kampung Sungai Selisik public hall in Hulu Bernam closed around noon.

A spokesman for Smart Selangor Command Centre (SSCC) said 13 victims were housed at the community hall in Kampung Alah Batu, Gedangsa in Hulu Bernam, while 55 evacuees were taking shelter at Sekolah Kebangsaan Rantau Panjang in Kuala Selangor.

Meanwhile, in KELANTAN, the Gua Musang assistant community development officer Muhd Nasriuddin Asman told Bernama, 78 evacuees from 18 families housed at the relief centres in Gua Musang were allowed to return home at 2.30 pm.

The Public Info Banjir portal reported that three rivers in the state had breached the alert level namely Sungai Kampung Temangan, Machang at 16.51 metres (m) (alert level of 15.5 m), Sungai Kuala Krai in Kuala Krai at 24.2 m (22.5 m) and Sungai Kelantan in Kusial, Tanah Merah at 14.78 m (14 m).

In JOHOR, the situation has worsened with the number of evacuees rose to 5,499 at noon from 5,485 this morning.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman R.Vidyananthan said evacuees in Mersing rose to 506 people from 487 this morning while the evacuees in Segamat dropped to 107 following the closure of one relief centre in Jalan Pemuda at 9.30 am.

“Kota Tinggi still has the highest number of victims at 2,707 followed by Kluang with 1,950 victims. A total of 52 relief centres are operational, 23 in Kota Tinggi, Kluang (12), Johor Bahru (one), Mersing (six), Segamat (five), Pontian (three) and two in Batu Pahat,” he said.

Vidyananthan said several stretches of roads were still closed including Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing (Kubu), Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing (Risda), Jalan Kota Tinggi- Kluang (Tun Habab), Jalan Lok Heng/Mawai/Sungai Mas (Jambatan Sungai Semalok).

Also closed are Jalan Haji Suhud Taman Muhibbah in Johor Bahru following a collapsed bridge and Jalan Nitar Utama-Kluang (Nitar 2 petrol station) and Jalan Nitar Utama- Kluang (Kahang three-way junction towards Kluang).

In PAHANG the number of victims slightly rose to 17,747 who remained at 238 relief centres in 10 districts.

The Welfare Department Disaster Info portal reported that Maran has the highest number of evacuees at 4,553 followed by Kuantan (3,255), Lipis (2,389), Raub (2,190), Jerantut (1,828), Temerloh (1,988), Rompin (1,006), Pekan (273), Bera (144) and Bentong (121).

ANIH Berhad, the concession holder of the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT1) said in a statement KM84.6-KM84.7 in Lanchang towards Kuala Lumpur which had been closed since Sunday night, was opened at 9 am, however, KM113 was still closed to all vehicles after being flooded since 9 pm yesterday.

-- BERNAMA