A rescue worker carrying a senior citizen to a relief centre in Kota Marudu after the district was hit by floods on Wednesday (Jan 25). - Photo courtesy of Fire and Rescue Department
KOTA KINABALU: The number of flood evacuees in Sabah has increased to 1,421 across 17 shelters in the districts of Paitan, Pitas, Kota Marudu and Kudat on Wednesday (Jan 25).
The numbers showed a rising trend as at 8pm Wednesday, according to the state Disaster Management Committee secretariat here.
"Those housed at Kampung Batangon Darat hall earlier have also been ordered to move to the Paitan sub-district community centre as the former temporary relief centre is no longer considered safe with river water levels at that location beginning to rise," the secretariat said in a statement.
Relocation centres began to be activated on Tuesday (Jan 24) after downpours triggered floods in the districts, with Kota Marudu being the latest casualty.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department had earlier issued a danger-level continuous heavy rain warning in Sabah for the Beluran, Sandakan and Kudat divisions, besides Johor, which is expected to persist until Thursday (Jan 26).
Sabah’s west coast areas like Ranau and Kota Belud, as well as Telupid in Sandakan, meanwhile are forecast to experience a severe-level wet spell until Thursday.
