KOTA BARU: More than 30,000 students from primary and secondary schools in Kelantan missed the first day of school yesterday due to floods.

State Education Department director Mohd Ghazali Ab Rahman said the floods affected six districts and a decision was made to close the schools.

"The Kelantan education department ordered all schools affected by the floods to close to prevent any mishaps," he said.

He added that education officers from 10 districts held a meeting yesterday after most of the schools were inundated with water from as early as 4am.

"We will have another meeting after the flood waters subside to decide when to reopen the schools," he said.

Pasir Mas and Rantau Panjang district were the worst-hit areas, where 14 schools were closed.

Eight schools here were closed while six in Tanah Merah were closed.

Bernama reported the State Drainage and Irrigation Department as saying that the water levels of four main rivers in Kelantan, including Sungai Kelantan and Sungai Golok, were above the danger levels.

In Kuantan, a spokesman for the state police contingent headquarters operations room said Kuantan had the highest number of evacuees at 1,386, followed by Pekan district which has 919.

Other districts affected are Maran (128 evacuees), Raub (48) and Cameron Highlands (33).

In Kuantan district, the affected areas are Sungai Lembing, Kampong Jawa, Taman Tas Jaya, Gambang and Kampong Pahang, Jaya Gading and Cendering.

Pahang Regent Tengku Mahkota Pahang Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and State Secretary Datuk Mohamad Safian Ismail visited some relief centres in Kuantan.

In Kuala Terengganu, some 471 people were evacuated from Kemaman and Setiu on Saturday night after several villages in the two districts were flooded.

A spokesman for the Terengganu police contingent headquarters flood operations room said that as of 9am yesterday, 248 people were evacuated in Kemaman and 223 in Setiu.

He said three relief centres had been opened in Kemaman, namely at the Kampung Teladas community hall, Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Air Putih and Kampung Baru 16 mosque.

In Pasir Puteh, 18 of the 29 flood evacuees in the Pasir Puteh district returned to their homes yesterday morning as the floods which hit their villages receded.

Jalan Pasir Puteh-Kota Baru in Kampung Bukit Abal Tiga and Jalan Pasir Puteh-Machang in Kampung Chenggal Pulas were also reopened to traffic.