#Newsflash: Hundreds of families displaced in Johor due to floods after heavy rain

 JOHOR BAHRU – The number of flood victims in Johor continues to rise, with four districts in the southern Malaysian state affected by flooding due to ongoing heavy rain.

According to the Johor disaster management committee, as at noon on Jan 11, Kota Tinggi remains the district with the highest number of victims, followed by the districts of Kluang, Pontian and Kulai.

“Only one temporary relief centre has been opened in Kulai at Dewanraya Kampung Sengkang as we are still in the process of moving the people out,” the committee said on Jan 11.

It added that there were 1,156 people from 366 families being placed at 18 temporary relief centres in the four flood-affected districts.

The number of flood victims in Kota Tinggi is at 1,082, followed by Kluang with 45, and Pontian with 29.

Earlier on Jan 11, it was reported that only the Kota Tinggi district had been affected by the floods.

The committee said that as at 8am on Jan 11, a total of 897 people from 303 families had been relocated to 13 centres in Kota Tinggi.

Five rivers – Sungai Endau in Kluang, Sungai Johor near Kampung Siam, Sungai Pulai near Kampung Ulu Pulai, Sungai Skudai near Kampung Laut and Sungai Tebrau near Taman Sri Pandan – are also recording dangerous-level readings.

Six roads in Kota Tinggi are closed off from all vehicles after being flooded.

The affected roads are Jalan Lok Heng-Mawai, Jalan Mawai Lama, Ladang Siang, Jalan Johor Baru-Endau, Jalan Kota Tinggi-Kluang and Jalan Kota Tinggi-Sungai Rengit.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department earlier issued a continuous rain warning for Pahang, Johor and several other states until Jan 12.

Meanwhile, Kota Tinggi police chief Yusof Othman said that a man was rescued after his car was swept away by the water current in Jalan Liku Cina, near Taman Aman.

“The incident occurred at 11.30pm on (Jan 10) when some of the team members were evacuating flood victims.

“The car was stuck at an electric pole while the driver was sitting on top of his vehicle,” he said, adding that the victim had lodged a police report on the incident. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Source The Straits Times