Perak, Kedah floods worsen

KUALA LUMPUR: The floods have worsened in Perak and Kedah, with more people having to be evacuated to relief centres to wait out the deluge.

In Perak, the floods affected three districts, with the number of evacuees having increased to 149 people yesterday morning, from 99 people on Friday.

A spokesman for the State Disaster Management Committee said a relief centre (PPS) was opened at the Sungai Baru Community Hall in Trong in the Larut, Matang and Selama district at 5pm on Friday to accommodate 13 people, involving four families, who were evacuated from Kampung Sungai Nyior, Padang Gajah.

The number of flood victims at the PPS at SK Matang in Taiping also increased to 107 people (33 families), from 88 people on Friday.

The victims are from Kampung Sungai Rentaka, Kampung Melawati, Kampung Jebong Kiri and Kampung Tebuk.

“A total of 18 people (six families), from Kampung Matang Tengah, are accommodated at the PPS at SK Changkat Lobak, while the number of evacuees at the PPS at SMK Smart Batu 8, Jalan Changkat Jong in Teluk Intan remained at 11 people, involving three families,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Drainage and Irrigation Department, in a statement, said there was a burst bund of the Sungai Samagagah Flood Mitigation Plan at Alor Pongsu in the Kerian district at 10.30am on Friday.

It said the incident caused the water level in Sungai Beriah and Sungai Samagagah to rise to 3.32m, which was above the danger level.

The Kerian DID activated operation of the permanent pump in Matang Tengah to ease the flow of the trapped water and opened the gates at Ampang Jajar, it said.

Danger zone: Workers clearing debris from a road near Jerai Hill Resort in Gurun, Kedah. — GC TAN/The Star

In Kedah, a new PPS was opened at SK Siong to accommodate a family of five from Baling yesterday.

Meanwhile, the two PPS which were opened in Yan since last Wednesday, namely SMK Agama Yan and SK Teroi, were still operating, despite flood victims having returned home, according to a Kedah Civil Defence Force spokesman.

Last Wednesday, a water surge phenomenon occurred in Gunung Jerai causing floods that affected about 1,000 houses in Yan and Kuala Muda, as well as claimed four lives. — Bernama