Floods: 5,788 Evacuees Sheltered In PPS In Kedah, Penang, Perak

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- The number of flood evacuees taking shelter in relief centres (PPS) across Kedah, Penang and Perak stood at 5,788 tonight.

In KEDAH, the number of evacuees has risen to 1,708 as of 8 pm, up from 1,562 earlier this evening, with all of them housed in 18 PPS.

Padang Terap and Sik have become the latest districts affected by the floods, along with Kulim, Baling, Pokok Sena and Pendang.

The State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN), in a statement, said Kulim remained the district with the most evacuees, totalling 1,113 in eight PPS, while Baling had 343 victims in five PPS.

“In Padang Terap, a PPS was opened at Dewan Badminton Felda Lubuk Merbau to accommodate 40 people, while in Sik, 79 evacuees are sheltering in two PPSs at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Danglau and SK Kampung Betong.

“In Pendang, 45 people are housed in the PPS at Dewan Kompleks Rakan Sukan Tanah Merah, while in Pokok Sena, 88 people take refuge at Dewan Serbaguna Pokok Sena,” it said.

According to the Public Infobanjir portal, six rivers in Kedah have exceeded the danger level, namely Sungai Pendang in Pendang (3.42m), Sungai Perik in Padang Terap (14.43m), Sungai Ketil at Kampung Bongor, Baling (60.27m), Sungai Laka in Kubang Pasu (22.47m), Sungai Titi Kerbau in Pendang (7m) and Sungai Anak Bukit in Taman Aman, Kota Setar (2.69m).

Meanwhile, Sungai Padang Terap in Kubang Pasu and Sungai Chepir in Sik recorded danger-level readings at 3.6m and 36.33m, respectively.

In PENANG, the number of flood evacuees continues to increase tonight, particularly in the Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) and Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) districts, following continuous rain since this evening.

Based on data from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as of 7.21 pm, the total number of evacuees has increased to 1,187 across SPU, SPT and Barat Daya districts, up from 1,052 earlier this evening.

In SPU, 386 people are housed at SK Lahar Yooi, with the PPS now at 116.97 per cent capacity, while 151 are at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Nyior Sebatang, 128 at SK Padang Menora and 119 at the Labuh Banting flood settlement centre.

In SPT, the number of evacuees rose to 369 from 220 earlier this evening, with 313 housed at SK Guar Perahu and 56 at SMK Permatang Pasir.

In Barat Daya, 34 people are housed at the only PPS in the district at SK Tan Sri Awang Had Salleh.

Meanwhile, Paya Terubong assemblyman Wong Hon Wai said that cleanup work at the site of yesterday’s landslide near Block 39 of Taman Terubong Jaya has been completed.

According to him, no development was taking place on the hill slope, and the landslide occurred due to heavy rain, which caused soil movement and mud flow.

In PERAK, the number of people taking shelter in 28 PPS across Larut Matang Selama (LMS), Manjung, Kerian and Perak Tengah decreased slightly tonight to 2,893, from 2,963 earlier.

The Perak JPBN Secretariat reported that flood evacuees in 19 PPS in LMS decreased to 1,899 from 2,042, while those in five PPS in Manjung increased to 606 from 597.

In Kerian, 278 people are taking refuge in three PPS, while 110 remain in a PPS in Perak Tengah.

The secretariat also said that the water levels in the Bukit Merah Reservoir and Sungai Slim were at danger levels.

--BERNAMA