Water woes: Children playing in floodwaters at Kampung Buluh in Terengganu. Nadma reported that the number of flood victims in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang dropped to 1,604 people at 17 PPS as at 4pm yesterday, compared to 2,626 victims at 31 PPS at noon. — Bernama
KUALA BERANG: Heavy rains since Monday resulted in the Kenyir Elephant Conservation Village (KECV) here being hit by sudden gushes of water from the hills.
Thankfully, in the incidents that took place on Wednesday afternoon and yesterday morning, no one was hurt as the centre had been off-limits to visitors since Wednesday on account of the bad weather.
KECV director Ang Ching Yang told Bernama that in the first water surge incident that occurred around 1pm on Wednesday, damage was caused to several areas at the centre, including the cafeteria, prayer hall and toilets.
He said the second incident that happened at about 9.30am yesterday inundated the bridge and made it difficult for the workers to feed the elephants.
“Two days before the incidents, I saw the river water turning yellow and mixed with mud. The elephants here had also made strange sounds.
“Based on our experience here, both situations indicate that a natural disaster was about to happen,” he said.
Ang said he is thankful that the water surge incidents did not affect the 17 elephants at the centre as the animals were moved to a safe location earlier.
“We haven’t calculated the cost of damage yet, but for the past few years, almost annually, we have been hit by water surges, and the cost of cleaning and repairing the affected areas and facilities will range between RM250,000 and RM300,000,” he said.
KECV will reopen to visitors when the cleaning and repair work is completed and good weather returns, he added.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Control Centre of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) said the number of flood victims in Terengganu, Kelantan and Pahang dropped to 1,604 people at 17 temporary relief centres (PPS) as at 4pm yesterday, compared to 2,626 victims at 31 PPS at noon.
According to the latest report, the number of victims in Terengganu dropped to 1,067 at 13 PPS, with 603 people at seven PPS in Setiu, 183 evacuees at three PPS in Hulu Terengganu, 268 victims at two PPS in Dungun, and 13 people at one PPS in Besut.
In Kelantan, one PPS was opened in Kuala Krai to house 27 victims and the number of evacuees at two PPS in Pasir Puteh remains unchanged at 350, while in Pahang, 160 people are sheltering at one PPS in Kuantan.
Meanwhile, the Irrigation and Drainage Department Telemetry Station shows that several river localities in Terengganu, Kedah, Pahang, Johor, Perlis and Sabah are at danger levels.
The rivers involved include Sungai Dungun, Sungai Terengganu and Sungai Besut in Terengganu; Sungai Muda, Sik and Sungai Kedah, Kota Setar in Kedah; and Sungai Arau in Perlis.
The others are Sungai Pahang in Bera, Sungai Rompin and Sungai Kuantan in Pahang; Sungai Sarang Buaya in Muar and Sungai Johor in Kota Tinggi, Johor; and Sungai Kinabatangan in Sabah.
Nadma also said 19 roads were closed due to floods, damaged bridges, collapsed roads and landslides, including Jalan Sungai Lembing in Kuantan, Pahang; Jalan Jemaluang-Batu Pahat in Mersing, Johor, and Trolak Selatan in Batang Padang, Perak.
