The ongoing monsoon season has tragically claimed eight lives across Malaysia in recent months, highlighting the dangers posed by floods. The Fire and Rescue Department director-general, Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad, urged the public to exercise extreme caution near floodwaters and to evacuate immediately if advised by authorities. He emphasized that playing in floods or fishing in strong currents are major contributors to drowning deaths. The department has responded to numerous landslide and landslip incidents, including a deadly event in Hulu Terengganu that claimed the lives of two teenage girls.
Troubled waters: Firemen evacuating two elderly persons from their home in Pontian which was flooded due to the high tide during the ongoing monsoon season. \JOHOR BARU: Floods seem to hold a dangerous allure for some people, who take the opportunity to fish or to just play in them, while others brave the raging currents to tie up their fishing nets. Unfortunately, such acts are among the main causes of deaths during the monsoon season, said the Fire and Rescue Department.
Its director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said the five waves of floods nationwide over the past two months claimed eight lives, all of them males aged from one to 78. Most of the deaths occurred in Kelantan with five victims, followed by two in Terengganu and one in Sarawak. “There were also two girls aged 13 and 16 who were killed in a landslip in Hulu Terengganu on Nov 29,” he told The Star. To date, he said the department has attended to 69 landslide and landslip cases during the monsoon season. He also urged parents to always keep up to date on the whereabouts of their children and not let them play near any bodies of water during the wet season. “The current wave involves Johor and according to the Meteorological Department, the wet season is expected to continue until March,” he added. \Nor Hisham also said that residents, especially those in low lying areas, should heed the advice of the authorities when told to evacuate.He added that some people would be worried about their belongings, but there were also those who assumed that the water level might not rise further.Based on information from the National Disaster Management Agency, Nor Hisham said more than 150,000 people have been affected by the flooding that began in November last year. He also said the department helped to evacuate two people aged 82 and 62 who were trapped in their homes due to rising water levels caused by a high tide in Pontian several days ago. “We have already issued an alert for people to be cautious and evacuate if the water level keeps rising,” he said, adding that the department was also concerned about high tides. Nor Hisham said the department was constantly monitoring flood hotspots nationwide and also uses its drones for patrolling. On the number of drowning cases nationwide, Nor Hisham said there were 277 deaths last year compared with 282 in 2023. “More than 83% of the deaths occured in rivers and beaches,” he said, adding that the department also saved 79 people last year
FLOODS MONSOON DEATHS EVACUATION FIRE DEPARTMENT MALAYSIA
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Teacher Calls Fire & Rescue Team To Help SPM Student Stranded By Flood In SarawakA teacher in Sarawak went above and beyond to ensure a student wouldn't miss their SPM exams, calling the Fire and Rescue Department when flooding made it impossible to leave their longhouse.
Read more »
Two US pilots shot down in 'friendly fire' over Red Sea, no deathsSONGKHLA: Thailand respects the decision of Malaysian authorities to close illegal bases at the Malaysia-Thailand border in Kelantan.
Read more »
Los Angeles fire deaths at 10 as National Guard called inMassive wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods and displaced thousands in Los Angeles have killed at least 10 people, authorities said
Read more »
Zizan Razak Shares Childhood Flood Memory, Offers Help to VictimsActor and singer Zizan Razak recounts his experience facing a flood as a child and expresses his sympathy and support for current flood victims.
Read more »
DID Forecasts Flooding in Nine Kelantan DistrictsThe Irrigation and Drainage Department has issued a flood warning for nine districts in Kelantan.
Read more »
Malaysia Prepares 133 Alternative Exam Centres Amidst Flood ConcernsEducation Ministry identifies alternative centers and activates flood response plan to ensure uninterrupted SPM exams.
Read more »