At least 14 people died and some 70,000 had to leave their homes as a result of massive floods in Malaysia, where the armed forces traveled in boats to distribute food to women, men and children who were trapped in their homes.
Several days of torrential rains over the past weekend sparked the worst flooding in years in the country, leaving cities and villages underwater and roads cut off, the AFP agency reported.
More than 71,000 people had to leave their homes due to the floods, mainly in Pahang and Selangor, and the evacuees are taken to government shelters.
The death toll rose to 14, including eight people in Selangor, the most densely populated state in the country., and six in the eastern state of Pahang, but the number could rise due to missing persons reports, according to local media.
More than 71,000 people had to leave their homes due to the floods, mainly in Pahang and Selangor, and the evacuees are taken to government shelters.
The authorities fear an increase in COVID-19 infections due to the crowding of people in shelters, according to official sources.
In the city of Shah Alam, in Selangor, some areas were still covered in water and military personnel on boats delivered food to people trapped in their homes and shelters.
The Asian country suffers from floods every year, but those at the weekend are the worst since 2014, when 100,000 people had to leave their homes.
Kartik Subramany fled his home when the water level rose and took refuge in a school for 48 hours before being evacuated with his family to a shelter.
“My house is totally damaged, my two cars are ruined,” lamented the 29-year-old.
Several citizens complained about what they considered a late and inadequate response from the government to the storm.. There were also reports of looting at supermarkets in a Shah Alam neighborhood.
The Asian country suffers from floods every year, but those at the weekend are the worst since 2014, when 100,000 people had to leave their homes.
