Number of flood evacuees across Malaysia continues steady climb

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — The number of flood evacuees seeking shelter at relief centres (PPS) in Pahang, Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Sabah rose this morning compared to yesterday.

In Pahang, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that there were 2,188 flood victims at 51 PPS in eight districts.

Of the total, 1,421 people are victims of the second wave of floods with the Lipis district registering the highest number of evacuees at 553 people followed by Rompin (340) and Raub (278).

Eight roads have been closed due to floods, including Jalan Sungai Lembing in Kuantan, Jalan Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan (Maran), Jalan Kuantan-Segamat (Pekan), Jalan Temerloh-Jerantut (Temerloh) and Jalan Bentong-Gua Musang (Lipis). 

According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department’s (DID) website, six rivers in the state were at danger level, namely Sungai Tanum at Chegar Perah in Lipis, Sungai Pahang in Paya Gintong (Jerantut) and in Kuala Krau (Temerloh), Sungai Serting in Pdg Gudang (Bera), Sungai Luit in Kampung Subuh (Maran) and Sungai Pukin (Rompin). 

The Malaysian Meteorological Department forecasts rain in all flood-affected districts in Pahang today.

In Melaka, the number of evacuees rose to 2,537 people, involving 656 families at 8am today, from 1,778 people (462 families) at 8pm yesterday.

Melaka Civil Defence Department (APM) director  Lt Kol (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said all the victims were from 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine areas in Melaka Tengah and nine areas in Jasin.

“A total of 1,015 evacuees from 270 families are at 10 PPS in Alor Gajah, 1,391 from 356 families at nine PPS in Melaka Tengah and 131 people from 30 families at two PPS in Jasin,” he said in a statement.

In Johor, the number of flood victims has increased to 3,841 involving six districts, compared with 2,553 people reported yesterday.

State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said Mersing became the latest district to be hit by floods after 366 victims from 90 families were evacuated to six PPS.

In Sabah, the number of evacuees continued to rise, with 2,435 people from 874 families this morning compared to 1,823 people from 599 families last night.

The Sabah Disaster Management Secretariat said that so far, 23 PPS have been opened in six districts in the state since last Friday.

The affected districts are Kota Marudu with 1,973 people from 520 families at 12 PPS; Paitan (97 people from 23 families at three PPS); Pitas, (79 people from 22 families at two PPS); Sandakan (197 people from 42 families at two PPS); Telupid (51 people from eight families at two PPS and Beluran (38 people from 10 families at one PPS.

In Negri Sembilan, updates on the Welfare Department's (JKM) InfoBencana application showed that that the number of flood victims at 22 PPS in the state has increased to 2,041 individuals from 554 families as of 7 am today compared with 1,892 from 505 families last night. 

State Public Works Department director Ir Wan Hasnan Wan Musa said 15 roads involving several districts in Negri Sembilan have been closed to all traffic while three more, including in Tampin are only passable to heavy vehicles following landslides and floods.

In Terengganu, State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat Chief Lieutenant Colonel (PA) Mohd Rosman Abdullah said the number of evacuees remained at 137 people from 42 families at two PPS in Dungun this morning.

“The two PPS are at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Shukor with 68 evacuees from 20 families and Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Pasir Raja (69 victims from 22 families),” he said.

Meanwhile, DID through https://publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my, reported that only Sungai Kemaman at the Paya Paman Pump House, Kemaman has surpassed the warning level this morning.

In Selangor, two PPS in the Kuala Langat district were reopened yesterday to house 40 flood victims.

They are at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Kelanang (25 people) and Balairaya Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung (MPKK) Banting (15 people).

Sungai Langat in Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat was reported to be at the danger level with a reading of 4.29m while the water level at Sungai Langat in Dengkil, Sepang has reached a warning level of 7.07m. — Bernama