KUALA TERENGGANU: A policeman stationed at the Dungun Police Training Centre (Pulapol) was among four victims who died in the first wave of floods that have affected the state since late November.
Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin said that the victim, Wan Muhamad Firdaus Wan Nasir, 36, was found drowned around 2.15pm yesterday.
He said that the incident occurred when the victim, who was riding a motorcycle, went missing after being swept away by strong currents at a palm oil plantation in Felda Kerteh 3, Ketengah Jaya, Dungun, at 5pm last Saturday.
"The policeman was the fourth fatality in the state's first wave of floods," he told the media today.
Earlier, Mohd Khairi distributed food aid to 49 Terengganu police personnel affected by the flood.
He also mentioned that the first casualty was 66-year-old Tuan Jusoh Tuan Hassan, who drowned while fishing in a rice field area along Jalan Kampung Pinang, Besut, on Nov 28.
He added that two siblings became victims of a landslide at their home in Kampung Bukit Apit, Ajil, near Hulu Terengganu, on Nov 29, around 4.50pm.
The bodies of Puteri Sajidah Azman, 16, and her younger sister, Siti Fatimah, 13, were found at 6.30pm and 7pm, respectively.
"Investigations revealed that the landslide originated from a hill behind their house, approximately 30m away, and it was raining heavily at the time," he said.
"So far, there have been only four flood deaths in the state, and we hope this number remains unchanged until the end of the northeast monsoon (MTL) in March," he added.
Commenting on the current flood situation, Mohd Khairi said that conditions were improving as the number of victims in temporary relief centres (PPS) across the state continued to decrease.
As of 12 noon today, there were 22,775 flood victims from 5,875 families still sheltered in 114 PPS, compared to 25,907 victims from 6,740 families at 8am earlier.
"A total of 590 PPS have been prepared by the state disaster committee and can accommodate about 140,000 victims," he said.
– BERNAMA