Flood situation in five states improves, only 10,065 victims remaining at PPS tonight

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5   -- The flood situation in five states improved further tonight as the number of evacuees at temporary relief centres (PPS) dropped to 10,065 from 11,469 earlier today, with all PPS in Terengganu had ceased operations after the evacuees were allowed to return home.

In MELAKA, there are still 468 flood victims from 126 families as of 8 pm, compared to 543 people from 140 families earlier.

State Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) director Lt Col (PA) Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said the victims were from 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine in Melaka Tengah and 14 more in Jasin.

In PAHANG, the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat reported that the number of evacuees continued to drop to 1,491 people at 30 PPS from 1,811 people at 33 PPS earlier.

All of them were from 454 families taking shelter at the PPS in Bera, Rompin, Pekan, Maran and Temerloh.

The PPS in Kuantan ended its operation tonight.

Several roads in Pahang had remained closed due to the floods, including Jalan Triang 1 in Bera, Jalan Ibam-Kampung Aur (Rompin),Jalan Teluk Ganchong Lepar (Pekan) and Jalan Serengkam (Maran).

The publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my portal reported that rivers with water levels exceeding the danger level were Sungai Bera and Sungai Serting in Bera, as well as Sungai Pahang in Kuala Sungai Chini, Pekan.

In NEGERI SEMBILAN, the latest data through the Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana application showed that the number of flood victims in relief centres fell to 589 individuals from 148 families tonight compared to 1,488 from 396 families this morning.

Only six PPS remained open in the state.

In JOHOR, the number of flood victims continues to drop to 4,453 at 8 pm tonight from 5,399 this morning, with the closure of six other PPS.

Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan, in a statement, said four of the PPS closed today were in Segamat, and one each in Mersing and Muar, leaving 64 other PPS in six districts still in operations.

Segamat still has the highest number of evacuees at 2,622, followed by Tangkak (650), Mersing (467), Muar (333), Kluang (128) and Batu Pahat (53).

As at 9 pm, three rivers remain at the danger level, namely Sungai Muar in Kampung Awat and Buloh Kasap in Segamat and Sungai Kesang in Kampung Seri Maamor near Tangkak.

In SABAH, the number of evacuees dropped slightly to 3,264 from 1,341 families tonight from 3,385 people (1,329 families) this morning.

The State Disaster Management Secretariat reported that the PPS at Dewan Kampung Kiabau in Telupid had been closed, leaving 27 still open in five districts in the northern part and east coast of the state.

Kota Marudu had the most evacuees with 2,668 people at 14 PPS, followed by Pitas (319 people at four PPS), Telupid (173 people at six PPS), Sandakan (45 people at one PPS) and sub-district Paitan (54 people at two PPS).

In SELANGOR, the JKM’s InfoBencana application informed that the number of evacuees remained unchanged at 40 people in the Kuala Langat district and they are placed at Dewan Kampung Kelanang (25 people) and Balai Raya Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung (MPKK) Banting (15 people).

The publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my portal reported that the water level of Sungai Bernam at Rimba KDR in Sabak Bernam has reached the danger level of 4.79 metres with an upward trend, while Sungai Langat at Bukit Changgang, Kuala Langat, at an alert level of 3.43 metres as of 8.30 pm.

Meanwhile, TERENGGANU had fully recovered from the third wave of floods that hit the state since Dec 30 as the last two of its PPS in Kemaman were officially closed at noon today.

The State Disaster Management Secretariat said the two PPS were at SMK Geliga and SK Lembah Jabor.

However, continuous monitoring would be carried out as the Northeast monsoon will only end in March.

-- BERNAMA