Malaysia’s East Coast Floods Deteriorate, More Victims Evacuated

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- The flood situation on the east coast of Malaysia has deteriorated following heavy rain forcing more victims to be evacuated to temporary relief centres in the affected states. In KELANTAN, a total of 2,142 evacuees from 567 families were moved to the relief centres as of this afternoon, compared to 125 this morning. The Welfare Department Disaster Info application reported that the Jeli district has the highest number of evacuees at 1,060 (296 families) housed at 10 relief centres. In Kuala Krai, 18 relief centres are operational to shelter 643 victims from 144 families; 11 in Tanah Merah (352 victims from 98 families); four in Gua Musang (54 from 13 families) and two in Pasir Mas (33 from 16 families). According to infobanjir.water.gov.my website, six rivers in the state have breached the danger level namely Sungai Galas in Limau Kasturi, Gua Musang at 60.13 metres (m) (danger level of 59.00 m); Sungai Lebir in Tualang, Kuala Krai 35.58 m (35.00 m); Sungai Kelantan in Kuala Krai 26.65 m (25.00 m); Sungai Kelantan in Kusial, Tanah Merah 16.70 m (16.00 m); Sungai Golok in Jenob 24.24 (23.50 m); and Sungai Galas in Dabong 39.26 m (38.00 m). The Department of Irrigation and Drainage said floods were expected to hit the Kuala Krai district at noon involving the Sungai Galas river basin namely Pekan Dabong, Pengkalan Bot Kampung Bahagia and surrounding areas. It said floods were also expected in the afternoon involving Sungai Nal, Sungai Durian and Sungai Pahi affecting Kampung Bedal, Kampung Sireh, Taman Warisan, Kampung Kuala Pertang, Kampung Ngagoh, Kampung Pahi and Kampung Aur Duri, Kampung Guchil, Kampung Jirat, Kampung Gatal, Kampung Batu Mengkebang, Kampung Keroh, Kampung Batu Jong and surrounding areas. In Gua Musang, floods were predicted in the afternoon to hit Kampung Limau Kasturi and its surrounding areas, it said. Two main roads in the Jeli district are closed to all vehicles namely Jalan Jeli-Dabong (Kampung Reka) inundated by one-metre of floodwaters and Jalan Jeli-Dabong in front of the Road Transport Department in Kuala Balah which is submerged under up to one metre of water. TERENGGANU is facing a similar situation, according to State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat head Lt Kol (PA) Che Adam A Rahman, who said the number of evacuees rose to 910 as at 3 pm from 267 victims this morning. "Hulu Terengganu is the latest district struck by floods due to continuous heavy rains resulting in the opening of one relief centre to house 30 victims while in Kemaman, the victims continue to rise to 657 people in seven relief centres and in Dungun 223 evacuees are taking shelter in two relief centres,” he said adding that the evacuation process is ongoing in the affected districts. In PAHANG, the number of evacuees from nine districts rose to 21,779 compared to 18,976 this morning. The Welfare Department Disaster Info portal reported that as at 3 pm, Maran recorded the highest number of victims at 5,431, followed by Temerloh (3,647), Kuantan (3,456), Lipis (2,551), Jerantut (2,393), Raub (2,338), Rompin (1,012), Pekan (499) and Bera (452). It also reported that the water level for Sungai Pahang in the Bera, Maran, Kuantan, Lipis, Jerantut and Temerloh districts had surpassed the danger level. Meanwhile, ANIH Berhad, the concession holder of the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT1) tweeted that both sides of the expressway at Km113 and Km115 were still closed due to floods. It also said the route at KM84 between the Karak and Temerloh intersection Kuantan-bound was also closed. However, in PERAK, the number of flood victims in three districts dropped to 493 people from 144 families compared to 520 people from 152 families housed at six relief centres as at 2 pm. A spokesman for State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said Hilir Perak has the highest number of evacuees at 464 housed at four relief centres, while Muallim has four and Kampar, 25 accommodated at one relief centre each. “The relief centre at Gopeng Town Hall in Kampar was closed at 9.30 am after the floods at Kampung Singh abated,” the spokesman said. According to infobanjir.water.gov.my, Sungai Plus in Kampung Lintang, Kuala Kangsar has breached the warning level at 54.93 m and the river in Kuala Kenderong, Hulu Perak has exceeded the alert level at 112.12 m. The flood situation in SELANGOR has fully recovered following the closure of two relief centres namely Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Rantau Panjang in Kuala Selangor and Kampung Alah Batu community hall in Hulu Bernam, said State Disaster Management Unit operations officer Muhammad Izzat Haziq Mohd Nazir. In JOHOR, eight relief centres were simultaneously closed due to fine weather, bringing the number of relief centres down to 26 in six affected districts. State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said this latest development saw the number of evacuees dropping to 3,182 from 807 families as of 4 pm compared to 3,566 victims from 903 families this morning. He said the closed relief centres were SK Sungai Linau, Simpang Renggam and Dewan Ithnin Maarof (Kluang); SK Bukit Lintang, SK Gembut and SK Tun Dr Syed Nasir (Kota Tinggi); SK Sri Bulan (Batu Pahat); SK Sawah Datuk (Mersing) and Kampung Jabi community hall (Segamat). He said Kota Tinggi still has the highest number of victims totalling 1,793 from 451 families housed at 14 relief centres. Only two roads are fully closed in Johor namely Jalan Mawai Lama, Kota Tinggi and Jalan Haji Suhud in Johor Bahru compared to this morning, he said. -- BERNAMA