Status: 19.12.2021 1:16 p.m.
Tens of thousands of people have been brought to safety in Malaysia due to severe flooding after heavy rains. The state of Selangor with the capital Kuala Lumpur is particularly affected.
In Malaysia, more than 30,000 people have been brought to safety due to flooding, according to state media. The monsoon rains that have been going on since Friday caused rivers to overflow in several regions in the center and northeast of the country.
The state of Selangor with the capital Kuala Lumpur is particularly affected; there alone almost 10,000 people fled their houses and apartments from the masses of water. Roads were flooded, thousands of drivers were stranded. Dozens of bus routes in and around the capital have been discontinued.
Due to the failure of three water treatment plants in Selangor, the authorities expect that tens of thousands of people in parts of the state and in the capital will have to do without fresh water in the coming days.
Prime Minister promises aid payments
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was amazed at the amount of rain that had fallen. It corresponds to the usual amount for a month, he said at a press conference. He promised the flood victims compensation payments of around 20 million euros. He had previously put the army, police and security authorities on alert in order to bring those affected to safety.
Meteorologists have predicted additional heavy rainfall for twelve of the 16 states and territories. At the end of the year, stormy weather occurs again and again in the tropical Southeast Asian country. Floods make evacuation measures necessary on a regular basis. The worst flood disaster occurred in Malaysia in 2014, when 118,000 people had to flee their homes.