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Sun, Nov 30, 2008
New Straits Times
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Woes as floods hit east coast
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>KOTA BARU, MALAYSIA - The floods have started to hit Kelantan and Terengganu. As of 3pm yesterday, 794 people from Jeli district in Kelantan were evacuated to six relief centres when their houses were flooded with 0.5 to 1.5m of water.
The floods also shut down the main road from Kota Baru to Kuala Lumpur at Kampung Sungai Durian, Kuala Krai, which came under 0.7m of water.
Another road section closed was the Km15 Jeli-Jelawang stretch near Kampung Reka, which was hit by 1.5m of floodwaters.
State flood operations room coordinator Ibrahim Bakri Mat Derus said the evacuees from 164 families were moved to the flood relief centres separately, following continuous heavy rain since Friday night.
He said that the evacuees were from several villages in Jeli, including Kampung Sungai Satan, Kampung Kalai, Kampung Batu Melintang and Kampung Lubuk Bongor.
"Some flood victims were sent to relief centres at schools while the rest were moved to a community hall," he said, adding that flood operation rooms in Jeli, Kuala Krai and Pasir Mas had been open since 10am.
Meanwhile, the water level at the assessment point at Sungai Golok, Jenob, has breached the danger level. At 4pm, it was recorded at 25.65m compared with the danger level of 23.50.
The water levels at Sungai Galas, Sungai Lebir, Sungai Kelantan at Kuala Krai, and Kusial and Sungai Golok at Rantau Panjang were also recorded above the alert level.
In Kuala Krai, 12 people, including children from three families, were trapped inside their houses after a minor landslide.
The victims, who were from Kampung Sungai Pas, could not move to safety as the area was submerged in more than 1m of water.
A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said they were trapped for more than seven hours until several boats arrived to send them to a nearby flood relief centre.
In Terengganu, more than 680 people were evacuated after floods hit several districts here yesterday.
As at 4pm yesterday, 77 victims from Marang were seeking shelter at the flood relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubu. Another 65 were at Sekolah Kebangsaan Marang.
Hulu Terengganu saw 150 evacuees with 30 people placed at the Chenderung civic centre in Kampung Durian Kassim.
Twenty victims were sent to the relief centre at Surau Kampung Tok Randuk while another 100 were sheltering at the multi-purpose hall in Kampung Kolam.
In Besut, 136 from Kampung La and Kampung Belaoh had to be placed in two surau and a mosque.
State Welfare Department director Zuhami Omar said in Setiu, 220 people were evacuated when several villages in the Langkap area were flooded.
Zuhaimi said the state government had allocated RM700,000 worth of food and aid for flood victims while the Federal Government had provided 5,000 disaster-relief kits.
Meanwhile, state Public Order and Traffic Department chief Superintendent Farid Mahmud said several roads were affected by the floods since yesterday morning.
Among them was Jalan Sungai Tong-Kuala Berang, which connects several villages, namely, Kampung Teng-kawang, Kuala Ping, Kuala Jeneris and Kampung Teris in Hulu Terengganu.
The road was submerged in 2m of water and was closed to all vehicles.
In Setiu, floodwaters rose 1m along Jalan Langkap-Pelong near Kampung Merbau Menyusut, Jalan Gong Terap-Telaga Papan near Kampung Gong Terap and Jalan Pengkalan Merbau-Pelong near Km9 Kampung Pelong.
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