KUCHING (Jan 14): The number of flood evacuees housed at temporary relief centres (PPS) in Sarawak this evening has dropped by more than half compared to early this morning following the closure of all five PPS in the Serian division.

The Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) reported that the five centres in Serian — Dewan Ranchan, which had housed 113 people from 45 households; Dewan Kampung Slabi Entukuh (57 from 10 households); Dewan Masyarakat Serian (311 from 91 households); the Indoor Basketball Stadium (95 from 35 households); and SK Tanah Puteh (448 from 131 households) — were all closed at 2pm.

The closures saw the total number of evacuees drop from 1,603 individuals from 498 households to 622 individuals from 194 households.

In Sibu, six evacuees from one household remain sheltered at Dewan SMK Bukit Assek.

In Bintulu, the number of evacuees increased from 237 people from 75 households to 282 people from 85 households, while in Sebauh, 150 people from 54 households remain at Balai Raya Sebauh, and the number at Dewan Sri Kemena, SMK Sebauh, declined slightly from 186 people from 56 households to 184 people from 54 households.