The floods took a turn for the worse overnight in Kelantan, sending 3,774 people from 1,314 families to relief centres as at 8am, up from the 1,568 people from 434 families as at 9pm yesterday.

Kelantan Civil Defence Force director Zainuddin Hussin said today there was a drastic increase in the number of evacuees in the Pasir Mas district, to 2,322 people from 936 families compared to 241 people from 85 families last night.

Kuala Krai had 371 evacuees from 99 families, Jeli 200 evacuees (47 families), Tanah Merah 533 (144), Machang 321 (83) and Pasir Puteh 27 (five), he said when contacted.

Zainuddin said 40 relief centres had been opened in the six districts to house the evacuees.

He attributed the rise in the number of evacuees in Pasir Mas and Tanah Merah to the flow of river water downstream from the upper reaches as well as the rain, which was heavy at times.

Meanwhile, according to the state government portal http://ebanjir.kelantan.gov.my, the levels of three rivers were higher as at 8am.

Sungai Galas at Dabong, Kuala Krai, measured 34.20 metres, the alert level.

The danger level of the river is 38 metres. Sungai Lebir at Tualang, Gua Musang, measured 32.27 metres (danger level 35 metres).

The level of Sungai Kelantan at the Krai Steps, Kuala Krai, was 23.44 metres (danger level 25 metres) and at the Guillemard Bridge, Tanah Merah, 17.31 metres (danger level 16 metres).

Sungai Golok at Rantau Panjang had risen to 10.30 metres, past the danger level of nine metres.

Six schools closed in Terengganu

Meanwhile, three schools in Terengganu had to be closed this morning due to the floods, raising the total number of schools closed in the state to six.

Terengganu director of Education Shafruddin Ali Hussin said the three schools closed were Sekolah Kebangsaan Lubuk Periuk in Hulu Terengganu (12 teachers and 54 students), SK Pasir Akar in Besut (45 teachers and 521 students) and SK Padang Kubu in Kemaman (25 teachers and 240 students).

"These three schools should be able to open as usual this morning, but the uncertain weather and continuous heavy rain in Besut and Kemaman resulted in these schools to be closed," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Yesterday, Bernama reported that three schools were scheduled to be closed today namely SK Sungai Las (50 students and 13 teachers), SK Kampung Besut (116 students and 18 teachers), and SK Getang in Hulu Terengganu  (27 teachers and 151 students).

Meanwhile in Besut, district education officer A Halim Hassan said a check on SK Pasir Akar found that the school was inundated with the water level at between 0.7 to 1.2 metres thus making it unsafe for the school session this morning.

This was because 14 of its 25 classrooms, especially those on the ground floor, had been flooded.

"This is the first school in the district to have been ordered closed after the spillover from Sungai Besut in Pasir Akar had entered the school compound besides the spillover from the streams near the school this morning," he said.

He also disclosed that so far, Jalan Jerteh to Keruak, Hulu Besut had been cut off and impassable to all classes of vehicles as the road at Kilometre 13 near the Gertak Jerbun area and Kilometre 23 near Kampung Bekok had been inundated.

"This had posed difficulty to the teachers in five primary schools and one secondary school namely Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Payung to get to the school this morning.

"However, school session remained as usual as the situation in the affected schools was safe and under control," he said.

On the 15 teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pulau Perhentian, Besut who were stranded and could not get to the school as the sea condition yesterday was choppy, he said they were still unable to get to the school today.

He added that for safety reasons, they were advised against going to the school because there were no boats operating to take them there at the moment.

"However, school session carried on as usual there because two teachers staying on the island could manage the session there," he said.

For teachers who could not get to their respective schools due to the floods, he advised them to report at the schools that were located near their area.

- Bernama