Number of flood evacuees in Sarawak rises to more than 5,000

MIRI: The flood situation in Sarawak has worsened with the number of victims increasing as at 8am on Thursday.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department in its latest report said 5,562 people from 1,682 families have been evacuated from longhouses, villages and also boarding schools statewide.

The number of flood victims on Wednesday (Feb 7) was about 4,600.

There are currently 31 relief shelters operating statewide.

Among the worst hit areas are Samarahan, Bintulu, Limbang and Baram.

In Baram, which is located in interior northern Sarawak, rescue personnel evacuated pupils from several boarding schools.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that 55 schools have been shut in the state due to the floods.