Two found dead in their homes

City under water: Parts of Segamat town which were flooded.

SEGAMAT: The floods in Johor claimed two more victims who were neighbours in Chaah here.

The victims have been identified as 78-year-old Lee Amo Yee and Tan Sue Ke, 74, who were found trapped inside their homes by their family members.

Segamat OCPD Supt Ahmad Zamry Marinsah said a rescue team carried out a search in the area after receiving information from their children.

“Due to the floods, we lost two lives. A man and a woman trapped inside their own homes where their bodies were found between 9am and 11am yesterday morning.”

Supt Ahmad Zamry added that the incident is believed to have occurred when the floodwater suddenly rose two metres high on Wednesday.

He said the floodwater reached the roof level at the victims’ homes, which were located near the Chaah police station.

Supt Ahmad Zamry said the victims’ bodies have been sent to Segamat Hospital for a post-mortem and the case has been classified as sudden death.

With the latest incident, this brings the total number of deaths due to the floods in Johor to three.

On Wednesday, a man was found dead inside a car that is believed to have been swept away by floodwater in Jalan GSA Chamek near Paloh in Kluang.

Kluang police chief Asst Comm Bahrin Mohd Noh said the 20-year-old victim was driving to work at a palm oil processing factory nearby when floodwater swept the car away at about 7.20am.

Meanwhile, it was a narrow escape for three Welfare Department staff after they were caught in the flood at an oil palm plantation area in Batu Pahat on Wednesday.

In a 23-second video, which has since gone viral, three individuals wearing the department’s life jackets had to save themselves by climbing onto the roof of a four-wheel drive vehicle.

In a statement, the Welfare Department confirmed that the three people were members of its Batu Pahat staff who were sent to the area to help flood victims.

The three were rescued by villagers and firemen.