KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian towns were left inundated with muddy water in the wake of torrential rains, footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed on Wednesday (Dec 21), forcing more than 72,000 people to evacuate as rainfall and floods were forecast to persist.
At least two people have died as floods hit five states this week, and authorities have set up hundreds of relief shelters as the number of people displaced grows.
Widespread flooding swept across large areas of Kelantan and Terengganu, two states along the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, after days of continuous heavy rainfall. There is also flooding in Pahang, Perak and Johor.
Videos on social media showed brown water gushing into fields and streets, submerging cars and causing rivers to breach their banks. Emergency responders were seen wading in waist-deep water to rescue victims.
The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has warned of more floods in the comings days as the monsoon season, which lasts from October to March, carries on. Authorities urged residents to evacuate if possible.
The intense rainfall in Kelantan hit a record of 627mm on Sunday, the highest since 1967, said the DID.
The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department said that it has mobilised 18,053 members including the Volunteer Fire Brigade and Auxiliary Fire Officers throughout the country to help with flood rescue operations.
It is also activating helicopters and drones for severely affected areas.
Experts have said rapid urbanisation and conversion of forests into settlements and industrial agriculture have made even inland areas, including capital city Kuala Lumpur, increasingly vulnerable to extreme floods as rainstorms intensify due to climate change.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asi...oast-evacuate-rain-johor-pahang-perak-3159916
