Floods claim 2 lives as evacuee numbers soar to over 14,000

 

There were a total of 12,526 flood victims in Kelantan as of 4pm, compared with 3,110 this morning. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The flood situation worsened today, particularly in the peninsula’s east coast, with the total number of flood victims soaring to over 14,000 as of 4pm.

The floods have also claimed two lives. In Kelantan, a 33-year-old man in Pasir Puteh was electrocuted while attempting to unplug his washing machine, while in Sarawak, a senior citizen died after a flash flood swept his car into a river in Kapit.

There were a total of 12,526 flood victims in Kelantan as of 4pm, compared with 3,110 this morning. The evacuees are being sheltered at 96 relief centres in Pasir Mas, Pasir Puteh, Kuala Krai, Kota Bharu, Tanah Merah, Machang, Tumpat, Bachok and Jeli, Bernama reported.

Pasir Mas was the worst-hit district with 3,232 victims, followed by Pasir Puteh (1,738), Kuala Krai (1,591), Kota Bharu (1,573), Tanah Merah (1,001 ), Machang (977), Tumpat (973), Bachok (776) and Jeli (665).

In Terengganu, the number of flood victims soared from 97 this morning to 1,851, with 42 relief centres opened in Besut, Setiu, Dungun, Hulu Terengganu and Marang.

Besut is the worst-hit, with 1,102 evacuees followed by Setiu (252), Dungun (235), Hulu Terengganu (195) and Marang (67).

Kedah and Perlis, meanwhile, are the latest states to be affected by floods, while the situation in Perak and Johor remains unchanged. Fifty people in Arau and Padang Besar, Perlis, as well as 16 people in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, were forced to relocate to relief centres.

In Perak and Johor, the number of flood victims remained at 20 and 28, respectively.

In Kapit, Sarawak, residents of a longhouse saw nearly all of their vehicles submerged by floods early this morning, The Borneo Post reported. Their homes were unaffected since they were above ground level. - FMT