Flood situation in Pahang and Johor worsens

• Updated with the flood situation in Johor
  

The flood situation in Rompin, Pahang, has taken a turn for the worse with 681 people from 176 families evacuated as of 7am this morning compared to 345 people from 92 families reported last night.

The Social Welfare Department Disaster Info Portal reported as of 7am, three more temporary evacuation centres (PPS) were opened last night, bringing the total number of PPS in the district to nine.

“The three new relief centres are at SK Sarang Tiong which houses 66 victims from 12 families, Rompin Weightlifting hall (42 victims from 10 families) and Bukit Lepas community hall (33 victims from eight families).

“Meanwhile, PPS SK Pianggu continues to record the highest number of evacuees at 263 people from 76 families, followed by the PPS Kampung Setajam (159 people, 43 families) and the Kampung Sepayang community hall (35 victims, nine families),” the portal said.

Meanwhile, the PPS Kampung Janglau community hall currently housed 34 victims from six families, PPS Telok Gading hall in Tanjung Gemok (26 victims, eight families) and Surau Kampung Perpat (23 victims, four families).

Rompin has been inundated with floodwaters since yesterday, with heavy rain since Friday causing several low-lying areas to be flooded.

Pahang Civil Defence Force director Colonel Zainal Yusoff in a statement said three roads in Rompin had been closed to vehicles since 11pm last night, namely, Jalan Kampung Denai, Jalan Kampung Sungai Mok and Jalan Lubuk Batu.

“The water level at Sungai Pukin recorded a reading of 0.13 metres above the alert level at 44 metres while other rivers in the district are showing an upward trend, but still at normal levels,” he said.

Meanwhile, continuous heavy rain for the past two days have seen the number of flood victims in Johor increase dramatically with 3,835 people from 1,054 families were evacuated from their homes as of 8am today.

State Government, Urban Well-being and Environment Committee chairman Tan Chen Choon (above) said the number of victims had steadily increased compared to 2,853 people from 770 families recorded last night.

He added that heavy rain had also caused floods in Batu Pahat district, bringing the affected districts to seven.

However, the PPS Kampung Melayu Batu Empat Paloh community hall in Kluang was closed at 9 pm.

He said all the evacuees were currently housed in 52 PPS – 13 in Kota Tinggi, 10 in Mersing, 20 in Kluang, six in Segamat and one each in Kulai, Muar and Batu Pahat.

“The Mersing district recorded the highest number of evacuees at 1,262 from 352 families followed by Kota Tinggi with 1,071 people from 267 families,” he said in a statement today.

In Kota Tinggi, the four affected roads, namely, Jalan Batu 18, Jalan Ladang Pasir Logok-Ladang Bukit Berkelompok, Jalan Ladang Bukit Payong and Jalan Kampung Mawai Lama are still inaccessible to all vehicles, he said.

He added that the Malaysian Meteorological Department had issued danger (red) weather warning for Mersing and Kota Tinggi while severe (orange) weather warning for Segamat, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Pontian, Kulai and Johor Bahru, and alert (yellow) level warning for Tangkak.

- Bernama