Three dead, thousands flee as floodwaters rise in Malaysia

Nov 24, 2011, 8:31 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Three people have died and thousands have evacuated their homes as two Malaysian states faced rising floods Thursday.

Some 3,500 people were in temporary relief centres after heavy rainfall in recent weeks led to swollen rivers and flooded roads in the north-eastern states of Terengganu and Kelantan.

Terengganu has been the worst hit so far, with more than 2,600 people evacuated as of early Thursday, officials with the state irrigation department said. No casualties had yet been reported.

In neighbouring Kelantan, three children aged 2, 15 and 16 drowned in floodwaters while a teenage girl was reported missing, the Star newspaper said.

Malaysia has said it is bracing for massive floods this year, as weather predictions indicate almost 40 per cent more rainfall during the year-end monsoon season compared to last year.

The health ministry has frozen all staff leave in preparation for the leap in health problems faced by those in affected areas.

Malaysia's coastal states experience crippling floods every year, with tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes as the rising waters cause damage worth millions of dollars.