Selangor Latest State Affected By Floods

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The transition phase of the Northeast Monsoon has caused flooding in Selangor, making it the latest state affected, with three relief centres opened this afternoon.

The Selangor Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) reported that the three relief centres were in Hulu Selangor and Hulu Langat districts.

It said the Balai Raya Kampung Alah Batu, which was opened yesterday, is housing 29 people from eight families, while the two newly opened centres at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Kuala Slim and SK Sungai Serai are still in the assessment phase.

In KUALA LUMPUR, SMART Expressway announced on Facebook that the SMART Tunnel, which had been fully closed to traffic due to heavy rain since early this morning, has now reopened.

According to the Kuala Lumpur Traffic Control Centre (KLCCC) website, 52 roads in the federal capital were reported to be in good condition, with smooth traffic flow as at 5 pm.

Earlier, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) reported that several areas around the capital had experienced flooding this morning due to extremely high rainfall exceeding 60 millimetres (mm) per hour, with readings at the city centre rainfall station exceeding 114 mm per hour.

According to DBKL, heavy rain began around 8.30 am and continued, causing several areas to flood due to overflow from major rivers, namely Sungai Batu, Sungai Klang, and Sungai Gombak.

Affected areas included Jalan Pantai Baharu, Jalan Parlimen (Dato’ Onn Roundabout), Jalan Kinabalu, Jalan Maharajalela, Jalan Travers, Jalan Damansara (under the Semantan overpass), Jalan Ledang, Jalan Segambut, Jalan Genting Klang (opposite Shell and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman), Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, and Jalan Sultan (Petaling Street).

Meanwhile, in PAHANG, the number of flood evacuees rose this afternoon to 1,415 from 417 families from 1,282 from 373 families this morning.

According to the InfoBencana application, Dewan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Seri Semantan is housing 668 people, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Desa Bakti (566), SK Bukit Cermin (75), SK Lanchang (36), Balairaya Mempateh (30), while Masjid Kampung Bongsu and SK Mentakab each have 20 people.

In PERAK, the number of evacuees in Kerian, Kuala Kangsar, Muallim, and Hilir Perak dropped to 1,013 from 320 families as at 4 pm, from 1,682 from 528 families this morning.

The JPBN Secretariat reported that the Hulu Perak district has recovered from the flood disaster, as two previously opened relief centres at SK Kerunai and SK Pahit were closed at 2 pm.

One relief centre in Muallim, SK Slim River, was closed at 10 am, with flood victims now sheltered at SK Kuala Slim, involving 74 people from 19 families.

"As of now, in the Kerian district, 104 people from 34 families are at SK Changkat Lobak and SK Parit Haji Aman, Bagan Serai, while in Hilir Perak, 69 people from 25 families are at Dewan Serbaguna Padang Tembak," it said in a statement.

In Kuala Kangsar, relief centres at SK Lasah, Dewan Pandak Hamid, Pusat Sehenti Orang Asli (OAOSC) Bawong in Sungai Siput, and SMK RLKT Lasah are housing 766 people from 242 families.

In KEDAH, the number of flood evacuees in four affected districts dropped to 1,387 from 438 families as at 4 pm, from 1,490 from 482 families this morning.

Kedah Civil Defence Force deputy director Major (PA) Muhammad Suhaimi Mohd Zain said all of them were being accommodated at 11 relief centres.

He said Baling district had the highest number of evacuees at 639 from 220 families at four centres, Kota Setar district at 390 from 121 families at four centres, Pendang (353 from 95 families) at two centres, and Pokok Sena (five people from two families) at one centre.

The number of flood evacuees in JOHOR also showed a declining trend, with only 15 people from two families housed at SK Seri Bunut, Batu Pahat, as at 4 pm, down from 197 people from 56 families this morning.

State JPBN chairman Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani said that relief centres at Dewan Kampung Murni Jaya in Kulai was closed at 9 am and two others at SK Seri Kampung Renggam and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Layang-Layang were closed at 2 pm.

-- BERNAMA