Malaysia Floods: 1 Dead; Over 27,000 Evacuated As Heavy Rain Expected To Continue

Floods in Malaysia have led to more than 27,000 people being evacuated from the states of Johor, Pahang, Melaka, and Negeri Sembilan.

One death has been reported so far, and the number of people stranded in relief centers continues to rise over the span of just 24 hours, AP News reported.

Triggered by heavy rains brought by the northeast monsoon, the flood left Johor as the worst-hit state in the country. With several areas submerged in floodwaters, around 9,160 people from Johor were evacuated and taken to relief centers Wednesday morning. However, this number more than doubled within a few hours as more than 25,000 Johor residents were sent to relief centers by Thursday morning, CNA reported.

Rescuers made their way around in boats to rescue families trapped on rooftops and brought them to safety.

Officials also said one victim died after his car was swept away by floodwaters. The man was reportedly driving to work at a palm oil plantation. Rescuers eventually found him dead when they retrieved his vehicle.

Rains are expected to continue in several districts of the Johor state, the Meteorological Department warned.

"Segamat is the worst affected district with 2,050 families evacuated to 55 relief centers, followed by Kluang with 1,559 families at 39 centers," a statement from the Johor State Disaster Management Committee said about the state's flood-affected districts. "Kota Tinggi with 769 families at 18 centers; Johor Bahru with 607 at 12 centers and Pontian involving 58 families at five centers."

Johor chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi informed an emergency meeting was held Wednesday night to tackle the "critical flood situation."

Different agencies were present at the meeting and briefed, the chief minister added. "I have asked the agencies involved to manage the logistics for the delivery of tents and retort (ready to eat) food to the affected area," he reportedly posted on social media.

"Be alert all Johor Citizens! The Department of Meteorology Malaysia (METMalaysia) has issued a warning of continuous rain until March 4, 2023 (Saturday)," read the translation of a recent update from Ghazi.

The Malaysian state of Pahang also saw the number of evacuated residents quickly climb up from 293 people Wednesday night to 1,375 people by Thursday. At the same time, the state of Negeri Sembilan saw the evacuation of 700 residents.

The National Flood Disaster Agency said the water in 25 rivers across the country has reached dangerous levels, according to the outlet.