Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

1 Killed, Over 26,000 Evacuated as Floods Hit Malaysia


Thu 02 Mar 2023 | 10:30 AM
Israa Farhan

One person died when his car was swept away by floodwaters that hit villages and towns in parts of Malaysia, leading to over 26,000 people being evacuated as of Thursday.

The southern Johor state, neighboring Singapore, was the worst hit with some 25,000 people moved to relief centers in schools and community halls, according to officials.

Five other states were also hit by floods after incessant rain on Wednesday deluged the area.

The Meteorological Department said Malaysia is experiencing its sixth episode of continuous heavy rain from the annual monsoon season that started in November, warning it could drag on until April.

In December, tens of thousands of people were also evacuated due to flooding.

The department warned that rain will persist in Johor and other parts of the country that could cause further flash floods on Thursday.

Social media posts showed photos of a road that had collapsed due to overflowing water after a heavy downpour, vehicles and homes submerged in muddy waters, and shuttered shops.

Images posted by the National Flood Disaster Agency showed rescuers wading chest-deep in some areas in Johor to help victims trapped in their homes and carrying a baby in a bucket to safety.

The agency warned that waters in 25 rivers nationwide have reached dangerous levels. It added that data showed that 102 landslides have occurred since November due to heavy rain.