Marufish World of Disaster PreventionOver 17,000 victims evacuated in Pahang, Johor, Terengganu

NST, 3 Dec 2013

KUALA LUMPUR: Heavy downpour over the past few days caused severe flooding with reports of collapsed bridgese and impassable roads in several districts in Pahang, Johor and Terengganu.

The flood also claimed its first victim after the body of a 17-year old boy was found in Sungai Pelantoh in Kampung Padang Kubu, Kijal in Terengganu at midnight while another child was reported missing.

In PAHANG, the severe flooding in Kuantan has caused the town to be almost paralysed with most of the roads in the town indundated with water exceeding one metre.

The number of flood victims in the state continue to rise with over 9,030 people seeking shelter at 49 relief centres in Kuantan, Rompin, Maran, Pekan and Jerantut as at 8pm.

In Kuantan alone, 3,672 people were evacuated.

Jerantut is the fifth district with 62 people from 12 families affected.

At the same time, several stretches were also closed including Jalan Kuantan-Sungai Lembing at Sungai Charu bridge, KM36 of Jalan Gambang Lama, KM16 of Jalan Nenasi-Pekan and KM145 of Jalan Jerangau-Jabor.

Due to a landslide, the stretch at KM72 of Jalan Kuantan-Segamat was also closed today.

At the same time, the main road to Sungai Lembing was cut off when the Sungai Charu bridge collapsed yesterday.

In TERENGGANU, the numbers jumped from 811 this morning to 2,811 people evacuated in Kemaman, Dungun and Hulu Terengganu as at 8.30pm.

Kemaman is still the hardest hit district with 1,842 people from 454 families evacuated to 29 relief centres.
The number of evacuees in Dungun increased almost tenfold from just 58 at noon today to 573 as the level of Sungai Dungun rose to 39.19 metres, more than two metres above the danger level.
In Hulu Terengganu, 396 people from 108 families were evacuated to relief centres in Paya Besar, Kampung Cheting, Kampung Kemat, Kampung Pelandan, Kuala Menjing, Kampung Pengkalan Ajal and Kampung Menerong.
The flood situation is expected to worsen further and spread to other districts as the heavy rains did not show any signs of easing and all the major rivers in the state had breached the alert level.
The portal also said two roads in the district had been closed to all traffic due to the floods, namely Jalan Kampung Teladas and Jalan Paya Seratus while Jalan Jerangau-Jabor is closed to light vehicles.

BERNAMA reported a 17-year-old boy was feared drowned while a child was reported missing due to the floods that have hit the Kemaman district in Terengganu.

According to Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who is also the MP for Kemaman, the boy was believed to have drowned in Kampung Padang Kubu, Kijal yesterday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Umno General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here today, he said the child (gender still unknown) was also reported missing in Kijal yesterday.

In JOHOR, BERNAMA reported the number of flood victims moved to shelters rose to 5,659 this afternoon compared to 4,765 this morning.

As of 3pm today, Segamat experienced the highest increase in the number of victims moved at 1,116 people compared to 402 people in the morning.

The number of flood victims evacuated also rose in Kluang, namely 187 people while the number of people relocated in Kota Tinggi went up to 74 people.

The National Security council portal stated that Muar became the latest district to be hit in Johor, with 35 people moved to shelters while the number of flood victims in Mersing remained at 4,274 people.

A total of 42 centres were opened in the state compared to 27 in the morning, namely 18 in Mersing (no change), 18 in Segamat (up by 12 centres), three in Kluang (up by one centre), two in Kota Tinggi (up by one centre) and one centre has been opened in Muar.

The Meteorological Department has forecast intermittent rain in one or two places in Mersing and Segamat and thunderstorms in one or two places in Kluang and Kota Tinggi today.

In Kampung Sekijang, Segamat, a bridge used by the villagers to cross over the Sungai Segamat was swept away by the raging waters.

There were no injuries, and the 30 families from the village are now using an alternative route.

Meanwhile, BERNAMA quoted Shahrul Hassan, 43, a motorist, who said that Km32 and Km35 of Jalan Mersing-Kota Tinggi were still flooded and only passable to heavy vehicles.

No casualties have been reported due to the floods in Johor so far.

Source