Floods: Sabah situation improving, only 2,639 people remain in flood relief shelters

KOTA KINABALU: The flood situation in Sabah has significantly improved with a majority of the 10,312 people displaced allowed to return home on Saturday (Jan 28).

As of 4pm, a report from the Civil Defence Force (APM) showed that only 2,639 people remain at 19 temporary flood relief centres in Paitan, Pitas and Lahad Datu.

More than 7,000 people were allowed to return home as the shelters in the northern Kota Marudu district and Tawau east coast district were closed after the flood waters receded in the affected areas.

Only centres in Paitan, Pitas and Lahad Datu, which had seen a slight increase of flood victims, remained open.

The situation was also improving in Paitan where two flood shelters were shut while the condition in Pitas was still the same, with 2,168 people still staying in the relief centres.

Earlier on Saturday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Tasks) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said a total of 10,312 people from 3,564 families from five Sabah districts were relocated to temporary flood shelters statewide due to the floods.

He said Sabah was the worst-hit by floods which also affected Johor, Pahang and Terengganu.

He added Kota Marudu was also the worst affected among the five flood-stricken Sabah districts, with 7,358 people relocated to flood shelters previously.