Heavy rain causes flash floods around the country

Heavy rain overnight caused flash floods in several places in the country today, affecting a hospital, leaving people stranded, forcing evacuation of villagers and submerging several cars.

No one was injured in the floods.

The Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital was affected by the flash flood that hit 22 low-lying areas in Muar and Tangkak in Johor at about 10 am following 60 mm of rainfall since 4 am.

Hospital director Dr Muhammad Yusof Sibert said the flood did not jeopardise operations and that the floodwaters receded at about 10.30 am.

Up to 227 people in Muar and Tangkak were evacuated to three relief centres, said Johor Health and Environment Committee chairman R. Vidyananthan.

The Muar District Disaster Management Committee secretariat said the affected areas included the Muar town centre; Kampung Sabak Awor; Kampung Seri Menanti; Kampung Parit Tengah; Jalan Bentayan; Parit Perupok and Kampung Dato' Seri Amar Diraja.

Over 300 residents from 75 Orang Asli families in Kampung Aring 5, Gua Musang, Kelantan, were reportedly stranded after Sungai Aring overflowed.

The swollen river also caused the main connecting road to be under three metres of water from around 2 am following heavy rain since early last night.

Orang Asli Kampung Aring 5 headman Raina Anjang said the villagers only realised what had happened when they wanted to go to Gua Musang town at about 7 am and had to wait until 3 pm for the floodwaters to recede.

A total of 308 people from 72 families were affected by flash floods in several areas in Negeri Sembilan, namely Kampung Jimah Lama in Port Dickson; Kampung Bemban in Seremban; Kampung Sega Hilir and Kampung Sega Hulu in Rembau; and Kampung Janging in Chuah, Port Dickson.

The Negeri Sembilan Disaster Management Committee said 48 people from seven families in Kampung Jimah Lama were evacuated to a relief centre in Sekolah Kebangsaan Jimah while other families are staying with relatives and that 20 people from Kampung Sega Hilir have been relocated to Sekolah Kebangsaan Sega Hilir.

Five expatriates on holiday at a resort in Taman Negara in Jerantut, Pahang, had a shock this morning when they found their cars submerged in a flash flood following heavy rain.

Jerantut District Police chief Supt Mazlan Hassan said the five cars were among six vehicles involved in the incident at about 5.30 am. The sixth car belonged to a resort worker.

"The continuous rain had resulted in a column of water from Sungai Kuala Tahan hitting the area, causing the flash flood this morning," he said in a statement here.

Mazlan said the expatriates, aged between 33 and 52, were from Australia, Britain, China, France and the Netherlands, and had addresses in Kuala Lumpur.

He also reminded tourists to be alert to the changes in the weather when participating in water activities.