'Winter monsoon' floods: Almost 20,000 evacuees in five states as at 1pm Monday (Jan 4)

An aerial view of the floods affecting Kota Tinggi in Johor earlier Monday (Jan 4).

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): A total of 19,591 people remained at evacuation centres in five flood-hit states in the peninsula as at 1 pm Monday (Jan 4), according to statistics gleaned from the Social Welfare Department portal.

While the number of evacuees dropped slightly in Johor and Terengganu, it had risen in Pahang, Perak and Kelantan.

Pahang had the most evacuees at 10,739. They are being accommodated at 201 evacuation or relief centres in nine districts, of which Kuantan is the worst-affected with 3,276 evacuees.

Maran district had 1,895 evacuees at relief centres; Raub, 1,493; Jerantut, 1,259; Lipis, 1,119; Rompin, 742; Temerloh, 605; Bentong, 215 and Pekan, 135.

Several rivers in Pahang have breached the danger level, among them Sungai Jelai in Jeram Bungor and Kuala Medang, Lipis; Sungai Tembeling in Kuala Tahan; Sungai Pahang in Sungai Yap, Jerantut; and Sungai Kuantan in Pasir Kemudi and Pintasan Kuantan as well as Sungai Lepar at Jambatan Gelugor, all in Kuantan; Sungai Lipis in Batu Malim, Raub; and Sungai Chini and Sungai Pahang in Paloh Hinai, Pekan.

In Kelantan, the number of people evacuated to the relief centres in Gua Musang rose to 322 from 296 this morning.

According to the Social Welfare Department portal, a third relief centre had been opened at SK Limau Kasturi 2.

The infobanjir.water.gov.my portal reported that the level of Sungai Galas at Limau Kasturi, Gua Musang, was at 60.55m, above the danger point of 59m.

In Terengganu, the situation in the flood-hit areas improved slightly and the number of evacuees dropped to 645 from 815 earlier Monday.

State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat head Lt Col (PA) Che Adam A Rahman said the number of districts affected remained at two, namely Kemaman and Dungun, and the evacuees were housed at seven relief centres.

"In Kemaman, the number of evacuees dropped to 445 and in Dungun, to 200, ” he said.

Terengganu is experiencing a drizzle which at times becomes heavy, especially in the Kemaman district.

Johor also saw a slight drop in the number of evacuees, to 6,991 from 7,112 in the morning.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said Kluang district had the most evacuees at 2,376, followed by Kota Tinggi (2,029); Johor Baru (1,279); Kulai (585); Mersing (520); Segamat (84); Batu Pahat (71) and Pontian (47).

"Sixty-eight relief centres were opened in the state, with 20 in Kota Tinggi; 19 in Kluang; 10 in Johor Baru; six in Mersing; five in Kulai; three each in Segamat and Pontian, and two in Batu Pahat, ” he said Monday.

According to the Public Works Department (JKR), several stretches of federal and state roads have been closed due to the floods in the Kota Tinggi district.

They are Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing (Kubu), Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing (Batu 16), Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing (Risda), Jalan Kota Tinggi-Kluang (Arked Mara), Jalan Lok Heng/ Mawai/ Sungai Mas (Jambatan Sungai Semalok), Jalan Tai Hong, Jalan Tai Hong, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, Jalan Semanggar (bridge), Jalan Mawai Lama, Jalan Kampung Kelantan/ Kampung Panti and Jalan Sungai Telor. - Bernama