Floods in Baling: 334 victims evacuated

A total of 334 victims from nine villages in Baling, Kedah, have been evacuated to several relief centres (PPS) as of 2am today due to the floods.

Baling District police chief Supt Shamsudin Mamat said the floods, since 4pm yesterday,  had so far affected 85 houses.

He said the flood also affected Sekolah Menengah Agama Yayasan Al-Khairiah, but the water had receded.

The evacuation operation went smoothly with the involvement of various agencies, he said when met at the PPS at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jerai here early today.

He said the state-level National Security Council (MKN) would meet today to decide on further action involving assistance to the flood victims and on the search and rescue operation for the missing victims.

Three members of a family, including a four-month pregnant woman, are missing after strong currents swept their house in Kampung Iboi, Kupang.

They are housewife Salmah Mat Akib, 53, her pregnant daughter-in-law Nurul Hanis Abu Hassan, 23,  and daughter Mohd Khairul Ikhwan Nor Azman, 14.

 Salmah’s husband, Abd Rahman Said, 71, said prior to that he received a call from Nurul Hanis to inform him about the rising flood water.

"It was about 4pm and I was not at home, but when I got home, the house was no longer there and the bridge had also been swept away," Rahman said when met by reporters at the flood relief centre (PPS) at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jerai in Baling this morning.

He said the flood was the worst to hit the area.

- Bernama