Thousands evacuated in Malaysian floods

Thousands evacuated in Malaysian floods

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Heavy monsoon rains have forced over 2,000 people to evacuate and dozens of schools to close after submerging some areas under nearly 2.4 meters of water, news reports said on Sunday.

Hardest hit has been the town of Pekan, in Pahang state, 450 kilometers east of Kuala Lumpur, where more than 1,400 people have been evacuated to makeshift relief centers at mosques, churches and community halls, The Star daily reported.

Floods have also washed away roads and cut off at least eight aborigine settlements with a population of nearly 1,500 people.

Authorities plan to fly in food and supplies if the floods worsen, The Star reported.

Around 10,000 students have been sent home from school indefinitely due to the floods on the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula, which is most vulnerable to the heavy seasonal rains that occur from November through February.

Twenty-six schools in the Pekan district have closed following a 24-hour downpour that submerged the school grounds, The Star said.

Khalil Yaakob, chief minister of Pahang state, said it would take at least two days for the waters to subside in Pekan if no more rain falls.

"However, teachers at the affected schools must report for work every day, floods or no floods," Khalil was quoted as saying in the New Sunday Times daily.

Those who cannot reach their respective schools must report for duty at schools near their homes, he added.

The town of Pekan, with a population of 50,000, is built on peat land and is surrounded by swamps and several major tributaries of the Pahang river, the biggest river in Peninsular Malaysia.

The floods have claimed two lives so far. Around 40,000 people are usually affected by floods each year.