Flood deaths rise to 39, surpassing 2014 toll

The death toll due to floods in Selangor and Pahang rose to 39 yesterday with the discovery of two more bodies in Mentakab in the Temerloh district, far exceeding the toll in the 2014 floods which affected more than 200,000 across the country.

Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani had earlier said that 37 deaths were recorded with 10 people reported missing as of yesterday.

According to Bernama, Pahang Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Ismail Abdul Ghani confirmed that the bodies of a man and his son who were reported missing after they were swept away by strong currents at a football field in Mentakab on Tuesday were found yesterday.

The bodies of Musa Ahmad, 53, and Mohd Airall Zikree, 10, were found at 10am and 11.50am respectively.

Ismail said the bodies were found about 100m from where they were last seen.

Meanwhile, he said a man who was reported missing and feared to be drowned while bathing in a river at a railway bridge in Kuala Krau, Temerloh, on Wednesday has yet to be found, although search and rescue efforts are underway.

The death toll in Pahang also included two in Kuantan and seven in Bentong, he said.

The incident in Bentong involved a water surge in two areas with two bodies found at a holiday resort. Another person remains missing.

Meanwhile another five bodies were found in Telemong, with rescue workers still looking for one more victim.

The 2014 floods, described then as the worst in decades, saw 21 people killed.