KUALA LUMPUR – Eight people have been reported dead due to severe flooding in Malaysia as of Monday (Dec. 19), authorities in Selangor state said.
Selangor police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed said floods hit various districts in Selangor and claimed eight lives so far, according to state news agency Bernama.
The number of displaced persons due to flooding in Malaysia has risen to over 64,000 in seven states plus the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur as of 10:00 p.m. local time Monday, according to data from the Malaysian social welfare department.
The worst-hit state is Pahang along the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, with over 34,000 people being evacuated to flood relief centers, followed by Selangor state with over 24,000 evacuated.
The flood situation in the capital of Kuala Lumpur has eased in part due to its flood mitigation facility, known as the SMART Tunnel, the company managing the tunnel said in a statement.
The tunnel, which is designed to capture floodwater before pumping it out via a drainage network, had been activated at around 8:00 p.m. Sunday (Dec. 19), with some 4.9 million square meters of floodwater being diverted from the capital, it said.
The country’s meteorological department has warned of more rain in the Peninsula Malaysia, with rain and storms expected in several states on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a statement that more resources including personnel and equipment are being deployed to aid with evacuation and flood relief.
He also sought to calm the public, with many still being trapped in areas that are still flooded in parts of the country.
“I completely understand the public’s concern about the safety of those stranded by floods and as I have stressed before, rescue efforts are being intensified and rescue operations are being carried out nonstop,” he said.
