More evacuees in three out of four flood-hit states

The number of people evacuated due to floods has risen in three of the four affected states, taking to 1,327 the people moved out as at 10am today.

More people were moved out of their homes in Sabah (from 150 to 519); Perak (from 401 to 404) and Sarawak (from 315 to 361).

However, in Pahang, the number of evacuees dropped, from 67 to 43.

In KOTA KINABALU, state Department of Civil Defence director Col Mulliadi Al Hamdi Ladin said the number of evacuees in the Tenom district had risen from 150 to 519 overnight.

They were being housed at six relief centres, he said, adding that two of the relief centres were opened last night - at Rumah Kebudayaan Saga and Mandalom Lama.

Yesterday, 468 people were moved of their homes to four relief centres.

Tenom district officer Madiyem Layapan said these were at Ponontomon, Labut 1 and 2 as well as Lalandang.

The level of the Padas River in Tenom is at the danger point of 176.47 metres at 7am today.

In IPOH, Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Yahya Madif said the number of evacuees in the state had gone up to 404 at 8 am from 401 overnight but several evacuees in Hilir Perak had returned to their homes.

The newly-evacuated people numbered 15 from Kampung Ali Kalang in Bagan Serai, he said, adding that they were moved to the relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Merah.

Yahya said the number of evacuees in Bagan Serai rose to 133, with the people coming from Kampung Changkat Lobak, Kampung Permatang Tengah and Parit Air Hitam. All of them were being housed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Changkat Lobak.

The 117 evacuees from Batu 38 and Batu 40, Kampung Beriah and Parit Abu Hassan in Bagan Serai were being accommodated at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Merah, he said.

“The number of evacuees in Pantai Remis, from Kampung Padang Serai, Pengkalan Baru, remains at 83 and all of them are staying at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Kampung Padang Serai,” he said when contacted.

Yahya said the number of evacuees in Hilir Perak had dropped to 56 from 73 overnight.

These villagers, from Kampung Mesra Batu 7, Changkat Jong, Teluk Intan, Kampung Lorong Mesra, Batu 9 and Kampung Lorong, were being housed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Changkat Jong, Teluk Intan, he said, adding that their villages were flooded to a depth of 3.05 metres following heavy rain.

Food, drinks and aid provided to evacuees

In MIRI, Limbang Department of Civil Defence officer Subuh Posa said the number of evacuees at the Medamit community hall in Limbang had risen to 303 this morning from 258 overnight.

All these evacuees were from Kampung Hujung Medamit, he added.

He also said that the number of evacuees at the Trusan community hall in Lawas had gone up by one to 58 today.

These evacuees were from Kampung Gelapas, Kampung Seberang Kedai, Kampung Masjid, Kampung Tengah and Kampung Balai, he added.

Subuh said food, drinks and other essential aid had been provided to the evacuees by the Social Welfare Department and other agencies.

In KUANTAN, Pahang Department of Civil Defence director Zainal Yusoff said the number of evacuees in the Lipis and Raub districts in the state had dropped to 43 from 67 overnight.

The 23 evacuees in Lipis are being housed at the relief centre at Sekolah Lubuk Kulit, he said, adding that they were from Kampung Barus Beletik and Kampung Keledek.

In Raub, only one relief centre, at the Kuala Semantan Jamek Mosque, remained open with 20 evacuees, he said, adding that the centre at the Kampung Tersang community hall had closed after all the 19 evacuees returned to their homes.

Zainal advised the people in flood-prone areas to keep their valuables in a safe place and to evacuate when instructed by the authorities.

- Bernama