KUALA LUMPUR – The flood situation in Sabah has worsened with 566 people from 182 families affected as Paitan and Beluran became the latest two districts hit.
In Paitan, 32 victims from seven families were evacuated, while 30 more from eight families in Beluran were displaced.
The Sabah Disaster Management secretariat, in a statement tonight, said the number of flood victims in Kota Marudu remained unchanged at 504 from 167 families.
Two temporary evacuation centres (PPS) were opened in Paitan, namely SMK Pamol, housing seven families and the Kg Binsulung hall (25 victims from six families).
All flood victims in Beluran are currently being housed at the Kg Balaban hall, the secretariat said.
According to the secretariat, Kota Marudu has two active relief centres: SMK Tandek with 253 evacuees from 97 families; and SK Teritipan with 251 evacuees from 70 families.
Meanwhile, continuous rain from noon till 4pm in Lahad Datu had caused the water level of Sg Tengah Nipah to rise drastically and caused flash floods at Kg Keliatan and Taman Khazanah Indah, which receded late last evening.
Beluran district police chief Supt Kasim Muda said water levels of 11 rivers in Beluran were reported to have risen, with three areas affected by floods and several main roads inundated.
The number of flood evacuees continues to rise in Johor and Melaka, while Pahang has been hit by a second wave of floods.
In Johor, evacuees in Segamat and Tangkak districts rose slightly to 1,167 people from 297 families as of 8pm compared to 1,080 people from 271 families last evening.
State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said in a statement that one more relief centre was opened in Segamat, at Dewan Serbaguna Lagoh, bringing the total of PPS opened in two districts to 20.
“The single relief centre in Tangkak, at Sekolah Agama Bandar Tangkak, is sheltering 31 people from seven families from Kg Sri Makmur,” he said.
He added that the water levels of two rivers in Segamat have exceeded the danger level, Sg Segamat in Bandar Segamat with a water level of 9.82m and Sg Tangkak in Kg Sri Makmur with a water level of 4.29m.
In Melaka, the number of evacuees rose to 677 people from 173 families at 8pm compared to 507 evacuees from 134 families at 4pm.
Melaka Civil Defence Department director Lt Kol (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra in a statement said all the victims have been evacuated to eight PPS in Alor Gajah at Balai Raya Gadek, SRA Jabatan Agama Islam Melaka Jelatang, SMK Seri Pengkalan, Surau Kg Jeram, SMK Lubok China, SK Belimbing Dalam, SK Alor Gajah 1 dan SK Durian Tunggal.
“In Melaka Tengah, two PPS were opened in SK Krubong and SK Taman Merdeka, while only one was opened in Jasin at SK Parit Penghulu,” he said.
In Pahang, the state Disaster Management Secretariat confirmed that the second wave of floods have already started with several districts that had previously recovered from the first wave being flooded again, resulting in the reopening of relief centres.
A total of 155 victims were housed at 24 PPS in Maran, Bera, Lipis and Raub, while Rompin, which was not flooded earlier, is now affected.
Meanwhile, the PPS in Bentong, Temerloh and Pekan, which were affected by floods since the middle of last December, are still housing 1,542 victims who have yet to return home because their houses were either badly damaged or had not been cleaned.
The public info for floods website reported that five rivers in the state were at danger level, with three of them in Lipis, namely Sg Tanum in Chegar Perah, Sg Kechau in Kg Dusun and Sg Lipis in Benta, besides Sg Serting in Padang Gudang, Bera, and Sg Luit in Maran.
In Negri Sembilan, the latest data through the National Disaster Control Centres’ portal showed that as of 9pm, there were 1,363 victims involving 357 families placed at 14 PPS in four districts, namely Jelebu, Jempol, Kuala Pilah and Tampin.
In Terengganu, the number of flood victims declined to 147 from 44 families tonight, compared to 165 from 49 families in the evening.
State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat chief Lt Col (PA) Mohd Rosman Abdullah said this was following the closure of a relief centre in Dungun late last evening.
“Three relief centres remain open at this point: two in Dungun and one in Kemaman.
“In Dungun, the relief centres are at Dewan Orang Ramai Kg Shukor (68 people from 20 families) and Dewan Orang Ramai Kg Pasir Raja (69 people from 22 families), while in Kemaman, 10 people from two families are placed at a surau in Kg Ban Ho,” he said.
The official flood portal of the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) informed that the Sg Terengganu reading station at the drawbridge has exceeded the danger level last night, at 1.85m (the danger level is 1.8m).
Three rivers in three districts have surpassed the warning level, namely Sg Dungun in Kuala Jengai, Dungun; Sg Nerus in Kg Langkap; and Setiu; and Sg Kemaman at the Paya Paman Pump House, Kemaman.
In Kelantan, the number of flood victims also recorded a decrease as of 9pm, with 308 people from 109 families evacuated compared to 331 evacuees from 115 families last evening.
According to the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) Info Bencana application, five PPS have been opened, with four in Kuala Krai and one in Jeli.
Meanwhile, DID through floods website reported that no major river in Kelantan was at danger level and only four rivers recorded warning level readings, namely Sg Kelantan in Kuala Krai; Sg Kelantan in Rantau Panjang; Pasir Mas; Sg Kelantan in Kusial; Tanah Merah; and Sg Golok in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas.
In Selangor, JKM’s Info Bencana application stated that there is no active PPS at the moment. – Bernama, January 2, 2022
