ALOR SETAR - The floods in Kedah have spread southwards to the Bandar Baharu and Baling districts causing more people to be evacuated to relief centres.

Yesterday, 280 people were evacuated from seven villages in the Bandar Baharu district and another 20 from a village in Baling.

There are now 1,692 people seeking shelter in relief centres in Kedah, up from the 1,285 on Sunday.

When contacted yesterday, a state flood operations centre spokesman said the number of evacuees in Kota Setar district increased to 723 people at noon compared with 420 people on Sunday.

However, the number of evacuees in Kubang Pasu dropped to 474 people compared with 494 on Sunday while in Pokok Sena, there were only 195 people in relief centres compared with 342 on Sunday, he said.

He added that the relief centre in Padang Terap was closed yesterday morning after the remaining 29 people there were allowed to return home.

He said the water level of Sungai Kepala Batas was at 4.13m, above the danger level of 3.8m, while that for Sungai Pantai Johor was at 2.40m, higher than the 2m danger level.

-The Star/Asia News Network