NUMBER OF EVACUEES RISE IN PERAK, PENANG, DROPS IN KEDAH THIS EVENING

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- The number of flood evacuees at relief centres in Perak and Penang continue to rise while Kedah recorded a drop as of this evening.

In PERAK, 2,963 evacuees from 1,006 families are currently housed in centres this evening compared to 2,922 evacuees from 993 families this morning, while two more centres were opened in Majung and Kerian, for a total of 28 centres in the state.

A total of 2,042 people from 712 families are at 19 centres in Larut, Matang and Selama, 597 people from 199 families in five centres in Manjung, 214 people from 64 families in three centres in Kerian and 110 people from 31 families in a centre in Perak Tengah.

In PENANG, evacuees rose to 1,052 people from 288 families this evening compared to 1,026 people from 279 families this morning, while the number of centres remain at seven - four in North Seberang Perai, two in Central Seberang Perai and one in  Barat Daya district.

North Seberang Perai district has the most evacuees at 978 people - 401 people in Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Lahar Yooi, 151 people in Sekolah Agama Rakyat Nyior Sebatang, 127 orang (SK Padang Menora) and 119 people (Labuh Banting), while in Central Seberang Perai, 75 people are in SK Guar Perahu and 45 in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Permatang Pasir, and in Barat Daya, 34 people are at SK Tan Sri Awang Had Salleh. 

In KEDAH, the number of evacuees dropped to 1,562 people from 488 families this evening compared to 1,858 people from 587 families this morning, and are being housed in 15 centres in Kulim, Baling, Pokok Sena and Pendang districts.

Pendang is the newest district hit by floods with three people from one family being housed in Dewan Badminton Tanjung Radin that was opened at 2 pm today, while 73 people from 23 families are at Dewan Serbaguna Pokok Sena.

Kulim still has the highest number of evacuees with 1,146 people from 346 families at eight centres, while Baling has 340 evacuees from 118 families at five centres. Also, the centre at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) Chong Cheng in Kuala Muda district has been closed today at 3 pm.

Meanwhile, five rivers in Kedah have exceeded danger levels - Sungai Pendang in Pendang at 3.36 metres (m), Sungai Perik in Padang Terap (14.28 m), Sungai Ketil, Kampung Bongor in Baling (60.22 m), Sungai Laka in Kubang Pasu (22.55 m) and Sungai Titi Kerbau in Pendang (7.07 m).

Three more rivers are at warning levels - Sungai Ketil, Kuala Pegang in Baling (37.09 m), Sungai Chepir in Sik (36.51 m) and Sungai Anak Bukit in Taman Aman, Kota Setar (2.52 m).

-- BERNAMA