Death toll from Malaysia’s worst flooding in century rises to 46

Bangkok, Dec 25 (EFE).- At least 46 people have died and five remain missing in what has been the worst flooding in a century in Malaysia that has displaced some 68,000 people from their home, according to officials on Saturday.

The receding flood waters has allowed police and search and rescue teams to find more corpses, raising the toll.

Heavy rains that hit seven regions, including the capital Kuala Lumpur, last Friday and Saturday triggered the worst in the last 100 years floods amid fears that the calamity will recur in the future due to climate change.

Police Inspector General Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said Saturday at a press conference that the most affected region was Selangor, where 25 people lost their lives, followed by Pahang, with 15 deaths, both in the southern parts of the country, according to the official Bernama agency.

The police said that more than 68,000 people have been housed in government evacuation centers and that troops have been deployed to prevent the looting and theft in the aftermath of the disaster.

The Malaysian government approved an aid fund of $23 million for the repair of homes and infrastructure damaged by the floods.

Malaysia has two rainy seasons from May to September) and the other from October to March. EFE

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