Tens of Thousands Displaced and 13 Dead in Worst Floods to Hit Thailand and Malaysia in Decades

Authorities reported that the death toll from the worst floods to strike southern Thailand and northern Malaysia in decades rose to at least 13 as of Saturday.

More than 122,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in Malaysia’s northern states due to rains, according to disaster management officials. This figure surpasses the 118,000 displaced during one of the country’s worst floods in 2014, and officials fear the number could rise further with continuous rainfall.

The death toll in Malaysia remains at four across the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Sarawak. Kelantan is the worst-hit area, accounting for 63% of the displaced population—122,631 people. Around 35,000 people have been evacuated from Terengganu, with the rest scattered across seven other states.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rains will persist in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Perak until Sunday, according to the Agence France-Presse.

Thousands of emergency personnel, equipped with rescue boats, vehicles, and helicopters, have been deployed to the flood-stricken states, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who leads the National Disaster Management Committee.

In southern Thailand, the floods have affected approximately 534,000 households, with the death toll rising to nine. Thousands have taken refuge in over 200 shelters established in affected areas, according to Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.

Six typhoons struck neighboring Philippines in November alone, causing widespread devastation.