KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 — A total of 7,054 flood victims are still housed at relief centres in four states, as of 8am today, while almost 1,500 people residing in the Sabah coastal areas have been evacuated due to the king tide phenomenon.

In Kelantan, 5,411 people from 1,787 families are taking shelter at 18 relief centres in the Pasir Mas and Tumpat districts this morning, compared to 5,585 people from 1,835 families last night.

Kelantan Civil Defence Force (APM) Disaster Management and Operations officer Captain (PA) Mohd Hanif Omar in a statement said 4,229 people from 1,399 families were placed in 12 relief centres in Pasir Mas, while 1,182 people from 388 families were at six centres in Tumpat.

In Terengganu, the flood situation had improved, as the number of evacuees reduced to 1,438 people this morning, compared to 1,628 people last night.

The state disaster management committee (JBPN) secretariat, in a statement, informed that 12 relief centres were still operating in four districts, involving 1,090 victims in Kuala Nerus, Besut (183), Kuala Terengganu (89) and Marang (76).

In Perak,the JBPN secretariat stated that the number of evacuees remained at 62 people from 14 families and they were at two relief centres, namely at Dewan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abd Rahman Talib (SMART) and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Sungai Tiang Darat, Bagan Datuk.

In Sabah, the number of flood victims evacuated in Kota Belud remained at 143 people from 58 families, the same as recorded last night.

Of the number, 62 people from 26 families were housed at Dewan SK Pekan, while the remaining victims were at Dewan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Chung Hwa.

Meanwhile, the number of residents in coastal areas, especially those living in stilt houses, evacuated due to the king tide phenomenon increased to 1,483 people from 308 families this morning compared to 1,288 people from 267 families last night.

A total of 684 from 122 families were relocated to a relief centre in Sandakan, 54 people from 15 families to a centre in Kota Kinabalu, while in Pitas, 745 people from 171 families were evacuated to six relief centres. — Bernama