Saturday, February 5, 2011

Number of evacuees drops in most states

Flood victims of Pekan Sri Medan in Batu Pahat on their way to get provisions yesterday.




Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad workers repairing a railway track that was damaged in the floods in Pekan Segamat yesterday.

The flood situation in several states is improving as more victims returned home and evacuation centres closed their doors.

In Johor, the flood situation generally improved yesterday but the Muar and Batu Pahat districts have recorded a spike in the number of evacuees as water levels of main rivers there breached the danger mark.

As of 4pm yesterday, there were 8,430 evacuees in Batu Pahat compared with 4,979 on Wednesday.


In Muar, 9,226 people were displaced compared with 6,655 the previous day.

Statewide, there are 30,788 people from 7,133 families still staying at the relief centres compared with 41,465 on Wednesday.



The worst-hit district, Segamat, yesterday recorded only 5,926 evacuees compared with 18,853 three days ago.


The number of relief centres closed as of yesterday was 130.

The fourth flood victim's body was also recovered.

Tan Tian Lai, 55, slipped and fell into Sungai Segamat near his home in Bandar Utama here four days ago.


Tan's body was found trapped among oil palm trees at Ladang Sawit Taman Ladang Jaya here after floodwaters in the area receded at 7pm on Thursday.

Despite two days of relatively clear weather, as of 5pm yesterday, Sungai Muar in Buloh Kasap is at 10.51m. Its danger level is at 9.14m.

The Bekok dam at Sungai Batu Pahat had risen to 19m, breaching its danger mark of 17.50m.

In Negri Sembilan, the only flood relief centre at Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Gemas remained open, accommodating 508 people from 135 families.

In Pahang, the number of victims in the two flood-affected districts dropped from 2,265 to 840 people yesterday.

A spokesman from the state police operations room said the number of flood victims in the Temerloh district, however, increased to 493 people from 457.

He said the number of flood victims in the Rompin district dropped to 347 from 1,808 people yesterday.

All roads, previously closed due to the floods, are now open to vehicles.

In Malacca, the flood situation has improved with only 461 people still staying at three relief centres as of 8am yesterday, from 528 people.

A total of 446 people from 98 families are at two relief centres in Jasin, while another 15 people from five families are at a relief centre in Alor Gajah.

The Health Ministry said it would continue to monitor the food, water and health situation at all flood evacuation centres.

"We will station our health teams at these centres as long as required and ensure that proper cleanliness on all levels is adhered to," said Director-General of Health Tan Sri Ismail Merican.

He said the efforts by the ministry were going on smoothly and according to procedures.

St John Ambulance Malaysia (SJAM) has answered the government's call for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to lend a hand.

Selangor St John Ambulance state commander Datuk Burnard Yeo Kim Thong said the organisation responded to the call on the first day of the floods and mobilised its members from Johor to help out.

"The members from Segamat, Muar, Batu Pahat, Yong Peng and Johor Baru helped out by treating minor injuries among flood victims and distributing food supplies."

He added that SJAM was on standby in other flood-hit states like Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Malacca.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued an orange alert for Kudat and certain parts of Sandakan in Sabah.

The department warned yesterday that intermittent rain, at times heavy, was expected to continue in several areas in Sabah until today.

The areas affected would be Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Sandakan, Beluran and Kinabatangan.

"The situation may cause flooding in low-lying areas and near river banks," the department said in a statement.

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