Severe flooding caused by heavy rain in Malaysia and neighboring Thailand has claimed at least 12 lives, according to officials. More than 122,000 people in northern Malaysia have been displaced, while around 13,000 people in southern Thailand have also been forced to leave their homes.
There are concerns that the death toll and displacement numbers could rise, as warnings for heavy rain and storms remain in place. Emergency services have been mobilized to rescue stranded residents, and shelters are being set up to accommodate the displaced.
The flooding, which began earlier in the week, has led to the evacuation of thousands of residents in both countries. Social media and local news footage show cars and houses submerged, with people wading through waist-deep water. In Thailand’s Sateng Nok district, one video showed rescuers carrying a baby from the roof of a flooded house.
In southern Thailand, nearly 534,000 households have been affected, and two hospitals had to close to avoid damage from rising floodwaters. Six provinces in Thailand have declared a disaster, and the government has allocated 50 million baht ($1.7 million) in flood relief for each province. Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra emphasized the goal of restoring normalcy as quickly as possible.
In Malaysia, the worst flooding is concentrated in the northeastern state of Kelantan, which borders Thailand. The National Disaster Management Agency reports that evacuees in Kelantan account for 63% of the total displaced population. One resident from the town of Pasir Puteh in Kelantan stated that the floodwaters had reached her house corridor, just two inches from entering her home.
Another resident from the same town reported being isolated by the floods, with no way for vehicles to enter or exit the neighborhood. Eight other states in Malaysia have also been affected by the flooding.
So far, the number of displaced individuals has surpassed the figures from the 2014 floods, one of Malaysia’s worst flood disasters. Provisions for disaster management have been sent to the state governments of Terengganu and Kelantan. In response, Malaysia’s Prime Minister has instructed cabinet members not to take leave so they can focus on the crisis.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains will continue in some states until Sunday, while Thailand’s meteorological agency has cautioned that very heavy rain could persist through next week. Both countries typically experience monsoon rains during this period, making flooding a recurrent issue. In 2021, Malaysia faced some of its worst floods in decades, killing at least 14 people, while widespread flooding in Thailand in 2011 resulted in at least 500 deaths and extensive damage to homes.
