submerged by floodwaters in Mentakab in Malaysia’s Pahang state on
January 8, 2021, following heavy monso on rains. Mohd RASFAN /
AFP
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At least six people have died and nearly 50,000
evacuated in Malaysia after monsoon rains pounded the country’s
east coast, authorities said Friday, causing what residents
described as the worst flooding in half a century.
Authorities have stepped up rescue operations after locals
complained they had to fend for themselves earlier this week.
Heavy rains continued to batter the region on Friday, swelling
the number of people abandoning their homes to more than 47,000,
officials said.
“I have lost everything. The water has covered my roof,”
59-year-old factory worker Tan Kong Leng told AFP, tears filling
his eyes.
Floods hit the region during the rainy season every year and
regularly result in mass evacuations; but those in the affected
areas say this year’s are the worst in decades.
Many roads, including the main expressway that links the east
coast states, have been closed.
The worst-hit state is Pahang, where around 27,000 people have
been evacuated in recent days, according to the social welfare
department.
In one village in the state cut off by floods, residents were
evacuated in an excavator on Wednesday, while others were forced to
swim through deep waters.
Tan, the factory worker, and his wife took shelter at his
plywood factory. They had just minutes to put their clothes in
their car and flee to higher ground before the fast-rising waters
engulfed their home.
“I am sad. All my fittings and fixtures are destroyed. My
biggest fear is that more rain will pour in the coming days. Look!
There are dark clouds moving in fast,” he said.
In one of the worst-hit districts in Pahang, residents
complained that narrow and rubbish-filled drains contributed to the
deluge.
Mentakab resident Muhammad Fadzil Wahab said he and other locals
have formed their own patrol units to prevent house break-ins.
“We scout the entire flooded village at night with our small
boats and torch lights,” he told AFP.
“My family members are safe at the evacuation centres.”
Adding to the complexity of rescue efforts, Malaysia is seeing a
surge in coronavirus cases, reporting its biggest daily rise on
Thursday.
But Fadzil said government help has started to intensify,
including boats and military trucks.
“Thank Allah food, boats and medical assistance is now
available,” he said.
AFP
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