FLOOD VICTIMS IN KELANTAN EXCEED 1,000, NADMA ORDERS HEIGHTENED DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- The number of flood victims in Kelantan has increased to 1,170 people, while the situation in Terengganu remains unchanged as of 8 pm today.

In KELANTAN, the evacuees are residents from the Kota Bharu, Bachok and Tumpat districts who are being housed at eight temporary relief centres.

The relief centres are at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Sakti, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tapang, SK Parang Puting and SK Sering in Kota Bharu; SK Pengkalan Kubor 2 and SK Seri Tumpat 2 in Tumpat; as well as SK Pauh Sembilan and SK Jelawat in Bachok.

A Bernama check at Universiti Malaysia Kelantan City Campus in Pengkalan Chepa tonight found that parts of the main access routes around the campus were flooded, with water reaching knee level.

The Department of Irrigation and Drainage also projected that water levels in five major river basins in the state could rise further if heavy rain persists.

These include the Pasir Mas district - Kelantan River Basin (Sungai Kelantan); Pasir Puteh - Semerak River Basin (Sungai Semerak and Sungai Buaya Ikat); and Kota Bharu - Kelantan River Basin (Sungai Kemasin and Sungai Kelantan).

Bachok - Semerak River Basin (Sungai Kemasin and Sungai Semerak); Kuala Krai - Kelantan River Basin (Sungai Lebir); and Tumpat - Kelantan River Basin (Sungai Golok and Sungai Kelantan) are also at risk.

Meanwhile, in TERENGGANU, the situation during the first wave of floods remains unchanged since this evening, with 276 evacuees still sheltering at the relief centre at Masjid Kampung, Pulau Redang.

In KUALA LUMPUR, the National Disaster Management Agency’s (NADMA) National Disaster Command Centre has issued a disaster operations readiness notice, instructing the activation of state and district Disaster Management Committees and the enhancement of overall preparedness.

The notice follows continuous rain alerts at severe and alert levels affecting six states, with particular attention given to high-risk areas.

Earlier, the Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a severe-level continuous rain warning for Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Bharu, Bachok and Pasir Puteh in Kelantan, from today until Nov 24.

An alert-level continuous rain warning was also issued for Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak (Kerian, Larut, Matang and Selama, Hulu Perak and Kuala Kangsar) for the same period, while similar weather conditions are forecast for Kelantan (Jeli, Tanah Merah, Machang, Kuala Krai and Gua Musang) and Terengganu until Nov 26.

-- BERNAMA