Number of Melaka flood evacuees rises to 534

Two more relief centres were opened in Melaka tonight, bringing the total number of flood evacuees to 534 as of 11pm, from 445 this afternoon, according to the state disaster management committee.

Its head of secretariat, Lt Col (PA) Effendy Ali said the evacuees from 135 families were being accommodated at nine relief centres in the Central Melaka, Jasin and Alor Gajah districts.

He said the two new centres, namely Surau Bukit Baru and Kampung Seri Jeram Community Hall, Alor Gajah sheltered 13 people from two families and 15 people from three families, respectively.

He told reporters here tonight that the number of evacuees at four centres in the state saw an increase with 255 people from 62 families being accommodated at SMK Munsyi Abdullah, 83 from 21 families (Krubong People's Housing Project), 27 from 11 families (Peringgit Community Hall) and 31 from seven familes (Pengkalan Batu Community Hall).

Effendy said the number of flood victims at other centres remained unchanged, with 20 people from four families at the Paya Ikan Rural Transformation Centre, 29 from eight families (Sekolah Agama JAIM Tanjung Minyak) and 61 from 17 families (SK Tehel in Jasin).

Meanwhile in JOHOR BAHRU, Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said 45 people from 10 families in Tangkak were evacuated to two relief centres, as of 7pm.

He said the numbers included five victims from two families in Kampung Seri Makmor and 40 victims from eight families in Kampung Bukit Banjar.

In addition to the two villages, other flood-stricken areas in the district were Kampung Anjung Batu, Kampung Solok and Kampung Sri Jaya but no relief centre was opened (for evacuees), he said in a statement here tonight.

Ayub said the floods occurred after the Tangkak and Kampung Belemang rivers overflowed following heavy rain.

-- BERNAMA