Drop in number of flood victims in five states

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of flood victims seeking shelter at flood relief centres (PPS) in Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Sabah recorded a decline on Wednesday (Jan 5) morning, while in Selangor and Terengganu the situation remains unchanged.

In Johor, the number of flood victims in the seven-affected districts dropped to 5,399 people from 1,430 families as at 8am, compared to 5,923 from 1,585 families on Tuesday (Jan 4) night.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan, in a statement said this was following the closure of two PPS in Segamat, namely at Sekolah Kebangsaan Tenang and Dewan Serbaguna MDL Kampung Paya Merah.

However, he said one more PPS was activated, namely at Kompleks JKKK Kampung Jawa, Muar, bringing the total number of PPS opened in the state to 81.

"Segamat had the highest number of evacuees with 3,804 people, followed by Tangkak (598), Mersing (470), Muar (161), Kota Tinggi (131), Kluang (124) and Batu Pahat (111),” he said.

Vidyananthan said the water at three rivers remains at the danger level, namely Sungai Muar in Kampung Awat and Buloh Kasap in Segamat and Sungai Kesang in Kampung Seri Maamor near Tangkak.

In Pahang, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that a total of 1,846 flood victims were still at 32 PPS on Wednesday morning, involving the districts of Raub, Jerantut, Temerloh, Bera, Maran, Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin.

A total of 21 roads had been closed due to floods, including Jalan Pekan Sehari Kampung Awah in Maran, Jalan Triang 1 (Bera), Jalan Air Hitam (Kuantan), Jalan Kota Gelanggi (Jerantut), Jalan Belimbing-Seri Makmur (Pekan) and Jalan Ibam-Kampung Aur (Rompin).

The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) through its website informed that water levels at three rivers had exceeded the danger level, namely Sungai Bera and Sungai Serting in Bera and Sungai Pahang in Kuala Sungai Chini, Pekan.

In Negeri Sembilan, the latest data through the Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana application showed that the number of flood victims in relief centres fell to 1,488 individuals from 396 families on Wendesday morning, compared to 1,628 individuals involving 448 families on Tuesday night.

In Melaka, the number of flood victims had decreased to 1,256 people from 324 families as at 8 am, compared to 1,771 people from 472 families on Tuesday night.

State Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) director Lt Col (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra, in a statement said all of the victims were from 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine in Melaka Tengah and 14 more in Jasin.

In Sabah, the number of evacuees dropped to 3,385 people (1,329 families) this morning from 3,365 people (1,331 families) on Tuesday night.

The State Disaster Management Secretariat, in a statement informed that all the flood victims were housed at 30 PPS in six districts in the northern part and east coast of the state.

Kota Marudu had the most evacuees with 2,668 people from 1,120 families at 14 PPS, followed by Pitas (319 people, 120 families, 4 PPS), Telupid (216 people, 49 families, 7 PPS), Sandakan (45 people, 7 families, 1 PPS), Beluran (38 people, 10 families, 1 PPS), and Paitan (99 people, 23 families, 3 PPS).

An aerial survey by Bernama on Wednesday found that floodwaters had also begun to recede in some areas in Kota Marudu and the weather was favourable.

In Selangor, JKM’s InfoBencana application informed that the number of evacuees remained unchanged at 40 people in the Kuala Langat district and they were placed at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Kelanang (25 people) and Balai Raya Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung (MPKK) Banting (15 people).

In Terengganu, the number of evacuees remained at 19 people from five families at two centres in Kemaman this morning, according to the State Disaster Management Secretariat.

Nine people from three families were being housed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Lembah Jabor while 10 people from two families were placed at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Geliga.

DID through its https://publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my portal reported that only Sungai Nerus in Kampung Langkap, Setiu was still above the danger level on Wednesday morning. - Bernama