KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 ― More people are being evacuated to relief centres in Perak and Kedah due to the floods in both states since last Wednesday.

In Perak, the floods affected three districts, with the number of evacuees having increased to 149 people this morning, from 99 people yesterday.

A spokesman for the State Disaster Management Committee said a relief centre (PPS) was opened at the Sungai Baru Community Hall in Trong, in the Larut, Matang and Selama district at 5pm yesterday to accommodate 13 people, involving four families, who were evacuated from Kampung Sungai Nyior, Padang Gajah.

The number of flood victims at the PPS at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Matang in Taiping also increased to 107 people (33 families), from 88 people yesterday. They victims are from Kampung Sungai Rentaka, Kampung Melawati, Kampung Jebong Kiri and Kampung Tebuk.

"A total of 18 people (six families), from Kampung Matang Tengah,  are accommodated at the PPS at SK Changkat Lobak, while the number of evacuees at the PPS at  Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Smart Batu 8, Jalan Changkat Jong in Teluk Intan remained at 11 people, involving three families,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Drainage and Irrigation Department, in a statement, said there was a burst bund of the Sungai Samagagah Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) at Alor Pongsu in the Kerian district at 10.30am yesterday.

It said the incident caused the water level in Sungai Beriah and Sungai Samagagah to rise to 3.32 metre, which is above the danger level.

The Kerian DID had activated operation of the permanent pump in Matang Tengah to ease the flow of teh trapped water and opened the gates at Ampang Jajar, it said.

In Kedah, a new PPS was opened at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Siong at 3am today to accommodate a family of five from Baling today.

Meanwhile, the two PPS which were opened in Yan since last Wednesday, namely Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Agama Yan and SK Teroi, are still in operation, despite all the flood victims having returned home, according to a spokesman from the Kedah Civil Defence Force (APM).

Last Wednesday, a water surge phenomenon occurred in Gunung Jerai causing floods that affected about 1,000 houses in Yan and Kuala Muda, as well as claimed four lives. ― Bernama