Floods recede in Kedah, relief centres in four other states remain open

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 -- Floods in Kedah have receded today but the situation remains unchanged in Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka, which also recorded a rise in the number of evacuees and relief centres in operation.

In KEDAH, three relief centres opened in Kuala Muda district have been closed as of 1 pm today, Kedah Civli Defence Force disaster operations division chief Captain (PA) Saifuddin Abdullah said.

"162 victims from 39 families who were housed in all three centres were allowed to return home following good weather today,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in PERAK, the number of evacuees in Larut Matang and Selama districts rose to 57 people from 19 families compared to 14 people from three families this morning, according to the Perak state disaster management committee secretariat.

The secretariat said 39 people from 13 families from Kampung Sungai Bemban, Kuala Trong, were housed in a centre at Masjid Nurul Hidayah Sungai Bemban which opened at 10 pm yesterday, while 18 people from six families are being housed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Temelok.

In SELANGOR, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis announced that three relief centres were opened in Sepang district to house 45 evacuees from Kampung Giching and Kampung Salak as of 1.40 pm, adding that the flash floods which hit areas in Klang district had receded today.

In SEREMBAN, the centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato Mohd Said, Nilai, that housed a family of nine yesterday was closed at 12.15 pm today, Negeri Sembilan Civil Defence Force director Lt Col (PA) Mohd Syukri Md Nor said, adding that the number of evacuees at another centre at Balai Raya Kampung Permatang Port Dickson, remained unchanged at 25 people.

The number of evacuees in MELAKA , however, rose to 932 people from 249 families as of 4 pm compared to 590 people from 155 families at 8 am today, Melaka Civil Defence Force director Lt Col Cuthbert John Martin Qudra said, adding that the number of relief centres also rose to 12 this evening from 10 in the morning.

A total of 144 evacuees from 45 families from Alor Gajah district were housed in three centres, while 267 people from 70 families were sheltered in three centres in Jasin district, he said.

The remaining 521 evacuees from 134 families are being housed in six relief centres in Melaka Tengah district, he added.

-- BERNAMA