IPOH – "Please help! It is here already!" screamed a woman in a viral video capturing the terrifying moments as floodwaters hit a residential area in Taiping on Thursday.
In the 19-second clip, cries and shouts of "Allahuakbar" can be faintly heard amidst the rising floodwaters that had reached waist level.
There were also sobbing and shouting as well as sounds of rushing water in the background.
A man in the same video could be heard expressing his distress over the safety of his family.
He expressed his distress over his ruined home and fear for his child’s safety, crying out "Allahuakbar" in anguish.
Images on social media also showed a man carrying a baby above his head while struggling through the floodwaters to reach safety.
Other victims were seen taking refuge on car roofs as they waited for rescue teams to arrive.
The emotional scenes drew an outpouring of sympathy online, with many users posting prayers and urging residents in flood-hit areas to evacuate to safer locations.
The flooding was believed to have been caused by continuous heavy rain since the afternoon, which led to water overflowing into residential zones.
Authorities, including the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia and the Malaysian Civil Defence Force, launched evacuation and monitoring operations to ensure the safety of residents in affected neighbourhoods.
According to the Perak State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat, six temporary evacuation centres (PPS) were opened from 7.30pm.
These included Dewan Orang Ramai Simpang Halt, Dewan Orang Ramai Sungai Baru Trong, Dewan Perdana Trong, Dewan Serbaguna Masjid Al Wusta Batu 8, Masjid Ali Rouse and Sekolah Kebangsaan Simpang.
The total number of victims and families involved was still being determined as evacuation efforts continued.
In the Manjung district, the PPS at Sekolah Sungai Batu, Pantai Remis, opened at 8pm to shelter 180 victims from 44 families after their homes in Kampung Sungai Batu and Kampung Nelayan were inundated.
Another centre at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Padang Serai, Pengkalan Baru, began operating at 8.30pm, with relocations from Kampung Padang Serai still in progress.