Number of flood victims in Sarawak increases to 4,887

More people are being evacuated due to floods in Sarawak, with the tally at 8am today totalling 4,887 people, from 3,435 yesterday.

According to a spokesperson from the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee Secretariat, the victims, from 1,419 families, are being provided shelter at 31 relief centres in seven divisions in the state, namely Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu and Limbang.

Samarahan has the highest number of flood victims, at 1,857 people, followed by Serian (1,564 victims), Bintulu (504 victims), Sibu (388 victims), Mukah (271 victims), Limbang (271 victims) and Sri Aman (32 victims).

Meanwhile, the Sarawak Education Department, in a statement, said 43 schools had to be closed due to the floods.

They involved 5,380 students, 677 teachers and 249 support staff, it said.

Meanwhile, in Sabah, the number of flood victims at the relief centre at the Kota Marudu Community Hall as at 9 am today, has increased to 236 people from 102 families, compared with 119 people from 47 families, last night.

According to a spokesperson at the Kota Marudu District Disaster Management Secretariat, 203 of the victims were from Kampung Kuranji, while the remaining 33 people were from Kampung Popok Darat.

As of now, three villages in the Kota Marudu district are affected by the floods, he said.

- Bernama