Sarawak Hit By Floods, Situation Worsening In Sabah

KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Bernama) -- Sarawak became the latest state to be hit by floods, with the Lawas district inundated, while the situation in Sabah worsened as the number of evacuees sheltering at the temporary relief centres increased tonight.

In SARAWAK, 35 people from four villages in Trusan, Lawas were evacuated to the relief centre opened at Dewan Trusan today.

Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department’s Operations Centre spokesperson said in a statement that Lawas Fire and Rescue personnel were deployed to the location at 10 am after receiving calls about water levels reaching 0.91 metres (m) from the banks of Sungai Trusan.

Those affected were from Kampung Ranau (10 people); Kampung Lubuk Abai (six); Kampung Seberang Kedai Trusan (14); and Kampung Murud Suang Trusan (five).

In SABAH, the number of flood victims rose to 1,010 people from 325 families as of 8 pm, compared to 522 people from 154 families at 4 pm.

The State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat said in a statement that 10 villages each in Beaufort and Membakut were affected, with the number of evacuees continuing to rise.

It added that in Beaufort, 780 people from 249 families were evacuated to the relief centres in Dewan Selagon and Dewan Dun Banir, while in Membakut, 230 people from 76 families were moved to the Dewan Kesenian Islam Membakut relief centre that was opened today.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in MELAKA has fully recovered, following the 5.45 pm closure of the relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Parit Penghulu, Sungai Rambai in Jasin.

Melaka Civil Defence Force director Lt-Col (PA) Kamarulsyah Muslim said the last of the evacuees - four people from one family - at the centre were allowed to return to their home in Jalan Simen Batu Gajah this evening.

-- BERNAMA