Two die, 40,000 people evacuated in Malaysian floods

Two women in worst-hit Johor state drowned when their cars were swept away by floodwaters over the weekend, a relief coordinator said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

A SCENE IN GAZA CITY: A Palestinian man rides his a bike through a rain flooded street at the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, on January 30. File photo: AP.

Flooding in southern Malaysia has killed two people and more than 40,000 have fled to relief shelters as rains were still falling on Tuesday.

Two women in worst-hit Johor state drowned when their cars were swept away by floodwaters over the weekend, a relief coordinator said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

More than 40,000 people were staying in shelters throughout the state on Tuesday, but thousands of others returned home as rains eased in some parts.

The Malaysian Railway said in a statement on its website that three trains to neighbouring Singapore were cancelled due to the floods, while others had been disrupted.

Evacuations also took place due to flooding in southern Malacca state, central Negri Sembilan state, eastern Pahang state and Sabah state on Borneo island.