JOHOR BARU, March 20 — Heavy rain for several hours yesterday caused flooding in Johor, leading to the opening of 10 temporary relief centres (PPS) in three districts.

State Disaster Management Committee chairman Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani said 893 people from 257 families have been evacuated to the PPS as of 8 am today.

“Johor Baru recorded the highest number of evacuees with 567 people, followed by Kulai (269) and Pontian (57).

“The water levels in three rivers have surpassed the danger mark, namely Sungai Siam at Kampung Sungai Siam (20.85 metres), Sungai Skudai at Kampung Laut (4.24 metres) and Parit Keliling at Kampung Pasir (1.01 metres),” he said in a statement today.

Azmi also said rain is expected in 10 districts in Johor this morning. Meanwhile, Sandakan and Beluran in Sabah have also been hit by floods, according to the State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat.

It said that two PPS have been opened in Beluran, namely at Dewan Kampung Sungai Nangka and Dewan Kampung Balaban, while in Sandakan, Masjid Nur Iman and Masjid Nur Hidayah have also been designated as PPS.

“As of 8 am, the evacuation of flood victims to the PPS is ongoing, and the number of evacuees will be updated accordingly,” it said in a statement.

Currently, light rain is reported in Sandakan and Beluran, both located on Sabah’s east coast. — Bernama