Flood Victims In Sabah, Sarawak Top 1,700

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- The number of flood victims in Sabah and Sarawak continues to rise, with 1,706 people recorded as sheltering at evacuation centres in the two states as of 8 am today.

In SABAH, the number of evacuees rose sharply to 1,399 people from 488 families, compared with 619 people from 220 families yesterday afternoon.

According to a report by the Sabah State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN), eight relief centres are operating in three affected districts, namely Beaufort, Kota Belud and Tenom.

Beaufort is the worst hit with 587 victims, followed by Tenom (535 people) and Kota Belud (277 people).

“In Beaufort, 359 victims are housed at the Dewan Slagon Permanent Evacuation Centre (PPK) and 228 people at the Dewan Residensi PR1MA Woodford Estate Temporary Relief Centre (PPS).

“For the Kota Belud district, 17 victims are at Dewan Kampung Lentigi, while the number of victims at Dewan Masyarakat Tun Said has risen to 260,” JPBN said.

In Tenom, four evacuation centres have been opened to accommodate victims, namely Dewan Terbuka Labut 2 (154 people), Rumah Kebudayaan Kampung Ponontomon (217 people), Rumah Kebudayaan Mandalom Lama (120 people) and Rumah Kebudayaan Pantongan Saga (44 people).

So far, no fatalities have been reported, while the disaster situation in Kota Belud continues to show an upward trend.

In SARAWAK, JPBN said the number of flood victims housed at the PPS at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bekenu, Miri, increased to 307 people from 113 families as of 8 am today, compared with 213 people from 73 families at 4 pm yesterday.

The victims were evacuated to the centre from Kampung Kawang, Kampung Jenggalas, Kampung Rambai, Kampung Pintasan, Kampung Masjid, Kampung Kuala Lajung, Kampung Majelin and Kampung Kelapa in Bekenu.

Meanwhile, in JOHOR, the number of flood victims remains at 27 people from nine families, with one evacuation centre still in operation in Segamat as of 8 am today.

JPBN chairman Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman said the PPS at Balai Raya Kampung Batu Badak has been housing victims from Kampung Seberang Batu Badak and Kampung Batu Lima since Dec 28.

“Sungai Muar at Buloh Kasap, Segamat, is at the alert level with a reading of 7.94 metres (m), while the Sungai Tekam Jetty in Segamat (3.57 m) is at the warning level. All districts are experiencing fair weather except Muar, Batu Pahat and Kulai, which are cloudy,” he said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA