KUALA LUMPUR: The death toll has risen to two and more than 36,000 people have been driven to relief centres by this evening as the floods in Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan worsened, forcing the closure of roads, rail services, schools and government offices.

     Kedah is the worst hit of the three states, where the floods have claimed two lives, so far, and forced the evacuation of 25,088 people as at 5pm as well as washed out the plans of several Hindu families to celebrate Deepavali on Friday.

     Up to 11,411 people had moved out of their homes in Perlis and 475 in Kelantan.

     In KEDAH, Kubang Pasu police chief Supt Sawaludin Hamenudin said the body of a German woman, Erna Fisher, 64, was recovered Wednesday near her house in Kampung Kerenjis, Kota Giam, in Jitra after she was reported missing at 8.30pm on Tuesday.

     A Form One student Mohd Zaki Amani Shaari, 13, drowned Tuesday after he slipped and fell into a flooded padi field while fishing with his brother in Kampung Charok Bongor in Padang Terap.

     Sawaludin also said that two sisters Siti Nadia Syukor, 13, and Sharifah Syukor, eight were feared drowned after a motorcycle they were riding pillion on crashed into an irrigation canal in Kampung Telaga Mas in Pokok Sena Wednesday.

     The rider, Intan Malik, 14, clung onto a tree branch and was rescued by villagers, he added.

     In KEDAH, the 25,088 evacuees are from four districts, namely Kubang Pasu (15,613), Padang Terap (3,105), Kota Setar (5,331) and Pokok Sena (1,039).

     A spokesman for the National Security Council operations room said the evacuees were taking shelter at 94 relief centres in the four districts, 45 of them in Kubang Pasu, 35 in Padang Terap, nine in Kota Setar and five in Pokok Sena.

     He also said that 803 evacuees in Padang Terap were allowed to return to their homes at about 1pm.

     Among the flood-hit villages and towns in Kubang Pasu are Kampung Changkat Setoi, Kampung Paya Lantau, Kampung Malau, Changlun, Jitra and Kodiang.

     The level of the Sungai Bata there this evening was 9.58 metres, above the danger level of 9.14 metres.

     A check by Bernama in the Kota Setar district revealed that the floodwaters there had risen to 0.7 metres in most places. The rain had stopped, but the water was flowing in from the Padang Terap district.

     The following roads remained closed this evening:

KOTA SETAR 1. Jalan Pantai Johor - Gunung Keriang 2. Jalan Kuala Sungai - Sungai Baru 3. Jalan Alor Setar - Kepala Batas 4. Jalan Kepala Batas - Bukit Pinang 5. Jalan Hutan Kampung - Kepala Batas 6. Darulaman Highway (several stretches)

POKOK SENA 1. Jalan Lengkuas - Derang 2. Jalan Derang - Batu 11 Pokok Sena

KUBANG PASU 1. Jalan Tanah Merah - Wang Tepus 2. Jalan Kepala Batas - Kemunting 3. Jalan Jitra - Sungai Korok 4. Jalan Tunjang - Teluk Malek 5. Jalan Teluk Malek - Kampung Naga 6. Jalan Jitra - Bukit Wang 7. Jalan Napoh - Wang Tepus 8. Jalan Changlun - Kodiang 9. Km10.2 to Km28 of North-South Expressway

PADANG TERAP 1. Jalan Kampung Kubu - Simpang Nai Teh 2. Nai Teh - Kampung Tengah junction 3. Jalan Kuala Nerang - Kampung Tanjung 4. Jalan Kampung Tanjung - Puncak Janing 5. Jalan Kuala Nerang - Durian Burung 6. Jalan Batu 19 Kuala Nerang - Kampung Rambuntan 7. Jalan Masjid Kuala Nerang - Kampung Rambutan 8. Jalan K. Nerang - Barokhas 9. Jalan Kampung Tanjung - Tok Pelu

     The road link between Jitra and capital Alor Setar has been cut off after several roads were flooded up to one metre in stretches, making them impassable to light vehicles.

     The two main roads Alor Setar-Hutan Kampung and Alor Setar-Kepala Batas have been flooded, along with several village roads, which usually serve as alternative routes.

     A check by Bernama revealed that the daily activities of the people have been crippled and several camps had been erected here and there as temporary shelter for the flood evacuees.

     Most retail shops seem to be running out of dry or canned foods such as salted fish, sardine, eggs and rice.