KUANTAN: The operation to put out the fire at a 285ha of forest and pineapple plantation near Kampung Cenderawasih and Palma Valley in Pekan, which started on March 7, has been successfully completed after 17 days.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department director, Mohd Razam Taja Rahim, said the department is still monitoring the area in case of any new sparks that could reignite flames in the peatland region.

"The fire was fully extinguished yesterday (March 23), but we remain concerned about the potential threats posed by embers lingering underground. The department is utilising drones for aerial surveillance along the forest perimeters and will deploy firemen on the ground to check for any signs of fire.

"We will continue to monitor the area for at least the next two weeks, particularly due to the current hot weather. Even the Kuantan-Sungai Ular bypass fire site, which destroyed approximately 176 hectares of plantation and forest earlier this month, is still under observation by the Gebeng fire station," he told reporters at a shopping mall today.

Mohd Razam had earlier accompanied Pahang Public Works, Transport, and Health Committee chairman Datuk Ir. Razali Kassim to launch the road safety campaign and Op Siaga Raya Aidilfitri 2025.

The firefighting operation, which began on March 7, involved 113 firefighters from nine stations across Pahang, including the department's Special Tactical Operation and Rescue Team of Malaysia (Storm).

Other agencies assisting on the ground included the Pahang Forestry Department, the Pekan Civil Defence Force, and volunteer firemen from the Orang Asli community fire team.

Last week, Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the Pekan wildfires may have been caused by open burning but not linked to any drug-related activities as previously claimed.

SIBU (March 24): All temporary evacuation centres (PPS) for flood victims in Kapit and Sibu divisions have officially been closed today.

The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) secretariat in a statement said the two PPS in Kapit division, located at Asrama Belia Kapit and Dewan Suarah Kapit, were closed at 9am today.

In the Sibu division, the Dewan Serbaguna Selangau PPS was closed at 12pm, followed by the closure of the Dewan Komuniti Sibu Jaya PPS at 1pm and Dewan Kompleks Sukan Kanowit PPS at 5pm.

Two other PPS, namely the Dewan Masyarakat Kampung Bahagia Jaya Teku PPS in Sibu and Dewan Kampung Sukan in Miri, sheltering 43 and 40 landslide victims respectively, are still active as of 6pm.

The Saint Bernard Church PPS in Bintulu also remains active, and currently houses 146 fire victims from Rumah Lapie, Sungai Binai.

SANCHEONG COUNTY, South Korea (Reuters) - Deadly wildfires spread further across South Korea on Monday as authorities designated three more counties 'special disaster zones'.

At least four people have been killed and hundreds forced to flee their homes since blazes broke out in several areas on Saturday, stoked by strong winds and dry weather.

"Things that remind me of my youth disappeared without a trace - photos of my children when they were young," he told Reuters.

"The biggest priority is to quickly come up with measures to support and allow disaster recovery as soon as possible," he said.

Sancheong was already a special disaster zone - a designation that triggers extra funding and other measures. Acting President Han Duck-soo added another county in South Gyeongsang Province and two others in Ulsan and North Gyeongsang Province to the list.

Han, who returned to the post following a ruling by the Constitutional Court earlier in the day, visited Uiseong County, one of the affected areas, and met residents who had taken shelter, his office said in a statement.

BEAUFORT (Mar 24): People still turned up to donate blood to the Beaufort Hospital despite the recent floods as evidenced by the collection of 125 bags of blood.

According to Beaufort Hospital director Dr Sutharsan a/l Kannan, the extraordinary commitment of donors who came at night is highly appreciated. Their presence ensures an adequate blood supply for the upcoming festive week.

“During the major flood on March 9, blood collection was affected as planned donation programs had to be canceled due to rapidly rising water levels and unusable locations,” he said.

Dr Sutharsan made these remarks during the 2025 Ramadan Blood Donation Program, jointly organized by Y&Y Group, Skuad Ar-Rayyan Sabah, Kedai Kim Hin and the hospital, at the Outpatient Department here last Saturday.

“The hospital is deeply grateful for the contributions and roles played by the organizing partners and individual donors in making this program a success. It not only involved blood donation but also included an iftar meal for the donors,” he added.

He further mentioned, “To address the previous blood shortage, nearby hospitals also helped maintain Beaufort Hospital’s blood stock. Additionally, an emergency blood donation drive was held at night, organized by the Hung Men Beaufort Friendship Association, targeting Health Ministry staff around Beaufort.”

Appreciation was also extended to several organizers, including St Paul’s Church Beaufort, the Hung Men Beaufort Friendship Association, and the Malaysian Red Crescent Society Beaufort District, which held blood donation programs on March 16.

Regarding the upcoming Aidilfitri celebration, Dr Sutharsan urged donors to continue visiting the hospital’s blood bank and participating in upcoming programs, such as those in Kg Mentulud on April 12 and Kg Suasa on April 13. For more information, follow Beaufort Hospital’s official Facebook page.

Also present at the event were Y&Y Group representative Lee Kim Yoong, medical officer and head of the blood bank team Dr Norilmi Juzuli, and chairman of Skuad Ar-Rayyan Sabah, Laiman Abdullah.