KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia –
Rescuers on boats rescued families trapped on rooftops and brought others to safety as villages and towns in some parts of Malaysia were submerged in floodwaters, leaving more than 26,000 evacuees as of Thursday. One person was killed when his car was swept away by floodwaters.
The southern state of Johor, which neighbors Singapore, was hardest hit with about 25,000 people being moved to relief centers at schools and community halls. Officials said the number more than doubled from Tuesday. Five other states were also hit by flooding after unrelenting rain Wednesday flooded the area.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the country was experiencing its sixth consecutive heavy rain since the annual monsoon season that began in November, and warned that this could last until April.
In December, tens of thousands of people were also evacuated due to flooding.
The ministry warned that prolonged rain in Johor and other parts of the country could cause flash flooding on Thursday.
Posts on social media showed images of a road collapsed due to overflowing water after heavy rain, cars and houses submerged in muddy water, and shops closed.
In Johor, authorities said a man who drove to work at a palm oil plantation was found dead after rescuers recovered his car that had been swept away by floodwaters.
Photos released by the National Flood Service show rescuers wading chest-deep in some areas of Johor to help trapped victims and carry a baby in a bucket to safety. whole.
The agency warned that water in 25 rivers across the country had reached dangerous levels. The data shows that 102 landslides have occurred since November due to heavy rain.
