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

According to Communication and Multimedia Minister 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 in Kuala Lumpur today, he said the child (gender and age still unknown) was also reported missing in Kijal yesterday. 

The flood situation has also worsened in TERENGGANU, with Dungun and Hulu Terengganu also hit unlike yesterday when it was only the Kemaman district which was affected.

According to the National Security Council (MKN) portal, the number of people moved to flood relief centres (FRCs) in the state had risen to 905 people this afternoon as compared to 452 people in the morning.

In Hulu Terengganu, 94 victims from 18 families were placed at community halls in Kampung Pelandan, Kampung Cheting and Paya Besar and the Kampung Menerong PPSK Surau since 2pm today.

In Dungun, 50 people from 12 families were moved to community halls in Kampung Nyior and Kampung Pasir Raja since noon.

Meanwhile, the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) reported that the water levels at several major rivers in the state were at the danger mark.

A JPS spokesperson said the readings today at 4pm showed the water levels at Pasir Raja and Kuala Jengai in Dungun had exceed their respective danger levels of 37.84 metres and 23.21 metres.

Sungai Kuala Berang at Kampung Menerong in Hulu Terengganu had also exceeded the danger level and is now at the 25.13 metre mark (danger level 24.5 metres) while Sungai Kemaman and Sungai Cerol at Banho and the Air Putih Bridge had reached dangerous levels of 19.78 metres and 15.06 metres respectively.

Kuantan reported to be almost paralysed

In PAHANG, at total of 5,561 people have been moved to FRCs in Kuantan, Pekan, Rompin and Maran as of 3pm today.

The state capital Kuantan is also reported to be almost paralysed with most of the roads in the town indundated with water exceeding one metre.

A spokesperson at the flood operations room at the Pahang police headquarters in Kuantan said Rompin recorded the highest number of evacuees at 2,595 people from 23 kampungs who are being sheltered at 13 FRCs in the district.

In Pekan, six villages are affected with 341 victims moved to shelters while in Kuantan, 1,824 people from 23 kampungs have been placed in 23 evacuation centres.

In Maran, 801 flood victims from nine villages were sent to seven relief centres.   

The spokesperson told Bernama that the flood situation in Pahang was expected to become worse as heavy rain was causing more areas to be inundated.

“The Sungai Charu Bridge at Km28 Jalan Sungai Lembing-Kuantan is closed to all vehicles as the water has risen over a metre,” he said.

Several other roads were also closed to light vehicles after flood waters in the areas rose between 0.5 to one metre including Batu 3 Jalan Kuantan-Gambang, Km16 Jalan Pekan-Nenasi, Km9 Jalan Pekan-Nenasi and Km64 Jalan Maran-Jerantut.

In JOHOR BARU, 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.

Muar latest district to be hit

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 FRCs have been 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.

- Bernama