The flood situation in Johor worsened, with 3,786 families sheltering in 37 temporary flood relief centres in five districts up to 5pm yesterday.

Kota Tinggi is the worst-hit district, with 13 relief centres housing 1,174 evacuees, mostly from Taman Aman and Taman Mawai.

Flood evacuees also rose in Johor Baru, Kulai, Pontian and Kluang.

State Disaster Management Committee chairman Tan Sri Dr Azmi Rohani said Kota Tinggi was prone to floods and the water took time to recede as it was a low-lying area.

He said another factor is that 65 per cent of its border is surrounded by the sea.

He said the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has forecast heavy rain in Batu Pahat and Mersing.

In Johor Baru, 768 flood victims were taking shelter at five relief centres. The worst-hit areas were Kampung Kangkar Tebrau, Kampung Paya Kenangan and Kampung Pasir, with 343 victims.

Kulai had 735 evacuees, Pontian had 566 and Kluang had 546.

Sungai Kahang in Kluang remained at the danger level. Sungai Lenik in Batu Pahat, Sungai Sayong in Kampung Siam, Kulai, and Sungai Skudai in Kampung Pasir, Johor Baru, also reached the danger level.

“Four rivers are at the alert level — Sungai Muar in Segamat, Sungai Skudai in Kampung Laut, Sungai Tiram in Johor Baru and Sungai Johor in Kota Tinggi,” Azmi said.

In Perak, Bernama reported that the Manjung District Disaster Management Committee Secretariat recorded an increase in flood victims.

It said 31 people from nine families were taking shelter at relief centres, up from 30 people from eight families in the morning.

“The evacuees are from Kampung Padang Serai, Kampung Kasi and Kampung Pengkalan Damar,” the secretariat said.

The Perak Irrigation and Drainage Department said the water level of Sungai Rui in Hulu Perak was at the alert level of 165.43m. MetMalaysia forecast rain for all 12 districts in Perak yesterday evening.

A total of 62 houses and a mosque were destroyed in a fire at a water village in Kampung Sri Aman 2 here yesterday.

Tawau Fire and Rescue Department chief Jemishin Ujin said the station received a call about the fire at 7.46am, and a firefighting team was sent to the scene.

“On arrival, the team found the houses were built too close together.

“The receding sea water at the time made it challenging for them to extinguish the flames quickly.

“They had to draw water from a fire hydrant on the main road located 183m away.”

He said the situation was complicated by strong winds, which made it hard to anticipate the direction of the fire.

“The team had to make two fire breaks by demolishing two houses to ensure the fire did not spread. There was also a collapsed bridge preventing us from putting out the fire, and we had to ask the villagers to help lift the pump.”

However, Jemishin said 250 houses were saved due to the fire breaks and the fire was brought under control by 9.20am.

He added that no casualties were reported, and the cause of the fire and the loss incurred are under investigation.

Wati Majuran, 30, recounted the moment she saw the fire.

“I was sweeping under the stairs when my 4-year-old son shouted from the top of the house, ‘Mother, mother, fire, fire!’ I rushed upstairs and saw the fire had spread to the kitchen. My children were in the room, some asleep.

“I panicked and only thought about saving my children.” She said she grabbed their birth certificates before fleeing.

Hotel worker Karim Abdul, 40, said he received a phone call about the fire and rushed to the scene.

“When I arrived, the house was engulfed in flames. Alhamdulillah, the children and other residents are safe, but the fire spread quickly, and the winds made it worse.”

KEMAMAN - [DIKEMAS KINI] Hujan lebat berterusan sejak Jumaat lalu menyebabkan air pasang besar sehingga penduduk yang tinggal di tepi pantai terpaksa berpindah ke sebuah pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) di sini.

Berdasarkan laporan Sekretariat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Negeri (JPBN) Terengganu, seramai 16 mangsa daripada lima keluarga dipindahkan ke PPS di Balai Raya Kampung Geliga Pantai.

PPS tersebut diaktifkan bermula jam 9 malam Sabtu bagi menempatkan kesemua mangsa yang terjejas.

Difahamkan pasukan penyelamat antaranya Angkatan Pertahanan Awam (APM) dan Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) berusaha membantu memindahkan mangsa banjir ke lokasi selamat.

Sehingga jam 8 pagi, Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran (JPS) Terengganu merekodkan sebuah sungai di paras bahaya iaitu daerah Besut melibatkan Sungai Besut di Jambatan Keruak.

KUALA TERENGGANU - Sebanyak tiga insiden pokok tumbang direkodkan berlaku di Terengganu berikutan amaran hujan berterusan tahap waspada yang dikeluarkan Jabatan Meteorologi Malaysia (MetMalaysia) di enam negeri selama tiga hari bermula Jumaat.

Penolong Pengarah Bahagian Operasi JPBM Terengganu Penguasa Kanan Bomba II Muhammad Basri Kamarazaman berkata, kesemua insiden itu menyebabkan kerosakan terhadap struktur rumah serta kedai makan akibat kejadian angin kencang serta hujan secara berterusan.

"Insiden pokok tumbang berlaku di Kampung Sungai Buaya Dungun pada Jumaat manakala semalam (Sabtu) pula melibatkan Rumah PPRT Kampung Darat Kolam Kerteh serta Pantai Kerteh, Kemaman.

"Kesemua insiden menyebabkan struktur dua buah rumah dan sebuah kedai makan mengalami kerosakan teruk. Namun tiada kemalangan jiwa berlaku," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini pada Ahad.

Mengulas lanjut, Muhammad Basri berkata, orang ramai dinasihatkan untuk berhati-hati serta elakkan berada di kawasan yang mempunyai pokok besar ketika cuaca buruk berlaku.

"Jadi masyarakat di negeri ini diingatkan sentiasa berhati-hati ketika melalui kawasan yang mempunyai pokok besar terutama pokok sudah berusia dan menampakkan tanda-tanda mulai reput.

"Elakkan berada berdekatan pokok yang berisiko tumbang ketika cuaca hujan serta angin kencang," ujarnya.

Pada Selasa lalu, MetMalaysia mengeluarkan amaran hujan berterusan tahap waspada di enam negeri selama tiga hari bermula Jumaat.

MetMalaysia dalam satu kenyataan memaklumkan kawasan terlibat termasuk Terengganu di Hulu Terengganu, Marang, Dungun dan Kemaman, manakala di Pahang melibatkan Jerantut, Maran, Kuantan,