SEGAMAT: The number of flood evacuees here has risen from 456 people at 8am to 658 people at noon Saturday (Jan 1).

       State Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan said that one temporary relief centre (PPS) had been closed at 12.01am Saturday in Kampung Lembah Bakti.

       "There are nine villages affected in Segamat, with the most victims in Kampung Tenang where there are 223 evacuees from 73 families.

       "As of noon today, the number of victims stood at 658 people from 192 families," he said in a statement Saturday.

       Vidyananthan added that the affected villages are Kampung Sermin, Kampung Lembah Bakti, Kampung Pekan Air Panas, Kampung Paya Lenga, Kampung Paya Lebar, Kampung Paya Chinchin, Kampung Tenang, Kampung Sedeng, and Kampung Paya Lang.

       "The relief centre at Balairaya Kampung Lembah Bakti was closed at 12.01am today and all the victims there have been transferred to SRJK (C) Ai Chun.

       "The rest of the victims have been housed at nine relief centres in their villages, comprising schools and community halls," he added.

       Meanwhile, five rivers have recorded dangerous levels - Sungai Segamat near Bandar Segamat, Sungai Muar near Kampung Awat, Sungai Lenik near Ladang Chaah in Segamat, Sungai Tangkak near Kampung Seri Makmur, Tangkak, and Sungai Muar near Kampung Olak Sepam, Muar.

       Water levels at Sungai Segamat had risen to 9.17m over the dangerous level of 9.14m, Sungai Muar is now at 20.34m from 19.95m, Sungai Tangkak is at 4.31m from 4.00m, Sungai Lenik at 5.65m from 5.50m and Sungai Muar at 2.06m from 2.00m.