TOTAL NUMBER OF EVACUEES IN FLOOD-HIT STATES DROP TO 59,815 AS WATERS RECEDE

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The number of flood victims in flood-hit states across the country continued to drop to 59,815 people as of 8 pm tonight compared to 72,620 people in the evening.

In KELANTAN, the number of flood victims in six districts dropped to 43,586 people who are sheltered in 97 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) involving 13,928 families tonight compared to 44,925 people recorded in the evening.

Through (Social Welfare Dept) JKM's Disaster Info Portal, Pasir Mas district recorded the highest number of victims at 22,241, followed by Tumpat (20,522), Kota Bharu (403), Pasir Puteh (47), Bachok (318) and Tanah Merah with 55 evacuees.

The portal infobanjir.water.gov.my of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage also stated that only two main rivers in the state remain above danger level but in a downward trend, namely Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang (9.94 metres) and Sungai Golok in Tumpat (3.82 m).

The flood situation in TERENGGANU also improved when evacuees in seven districts dropped to 15,767 people in 59 PPS as of 8 pm, compared to 18,935 people earlier in the evening.

The secretariat of the Terengganu State Disaster Management Committee (JPBNT) informed that the Kuala Nerus district recorded the highest number of victims at 6,404 people (1,679 families) who are in 15 PPS while in Dungun district 5,628 victims (1,388 families) are still placed in 20 PPS.

In the Kuala Terengganu district, a total of 2,895 victims (709 families) are sheltering in nine PPS while in the Hulu Terengganu district, 466 victims (121 families) are housed in seven PPS.

In the Marang district, 192 evacuees (44 families) are still at three PPS while in Setiu district, 169 victims (30 families) are still sheltering in four PPS, followed by only 13 victims (four families) at a PPS in Kemaman district.

According to JPBNT, all victims in Besut have returned home after flood waters receded following clear weather since yesterday.

Meanwhile, based on reports on the flood info portal, the water level at two river stations, Parit Utama in Padang Kemunting (F1), and Sungai Nerus in Kampung Jeram, Kuala Nerus, exceeded the danger level.

In PAHANG, a check on the Social Welfare Department's InfoDisaster (JKM) application, showed a total of 39 victims (seven families) in Temerloh and Bera districts were sent to four PPS as of 8 pm tonight while the floods in Raub, Lipis and Jerantut districts have fully recovered today.

In the meantime, director of the Pahang Civil Defence Force (CDF) Col (PA), Che Adam A. Rahman asked residents of Temerloh, Bera, Maran and Pekan districts to prepare for any possible flooding due to the the flow of the Pahang River into their (lower) areas.

"As we all know, the current flow of water from upstream to downstream has started to have an impact on Temerloh until Bera and then onwards to Maran and ending in Pekan," he said via the WhatsApp application here today.

In PERAK, the secretariat of the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) said in a statement that the number of flood victims as of 8 pm tonight continued to dip to 423 people (138 families) at nine PPS compared to 615 people 194 victims earlier in the evening.

According to the secretariat, a total of 184 victims were in Kinta district, 15 flood victims in Larut, Matang and Selama districts, 80 evacuees in Hilir Perak, Kampar (74) and Central Perak (70).

-- BERNAMA