KUALA LUMPUR: The number of flood evacuees in Sabah and Sarawak continues to rise, while the situation in Johor is showing signs of recovery, with a total of 859 evacuees recorded across the three states.
As of 4pm yesterday, the number of evacuees in Sabah increased to 619 people, from 220 families; up from 510 people, from 164 families reported in the morning.
In a Bernama report, the Sabah Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) said in a statement that the increase was due to a rise in the number of evacuees at four relief centres, across three districts, namely Beaufort, Kota Kinabalu and Kota Belud.
In Sarawak, the number of flood evacuees sheltered at the temporary relief centre at SMK Bekenu in Miri rose to 213 people, from 73 families; up from 166 people from 53 families recorded yesterday morning.
According to the Sarawak JPBN, the evacuees relocated to the relief centre comprised residents from Kampung Kawang, Kampung Jenggalas, Kampung Rambai, Kampung Pintasan, Kampung Masjid, Kampung Kuala Lajung, Kampung Majelin and Kampung Kelapa in Bekenu.
Meanwhile, the situation improved in Johor, with the number of evacuees in the Segamat district dropping to 27 people, from nine families; compared with 50 people from 15 families recorded yesterday morning.
Johor JPBN chairman Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman said only one relief centre, at the Kampung Batu Badak community hall, remains in operation, while the Kampung Tandong multipurpose hall relief centre was closed at 2pm yesterday after all evacuees were allowed to return to their homes.
