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KUALA LUMPUR - FLOODING in Malaysia has killed 21 people and left more than 29,000 homeless, as rising waters cut off major roads in the country, reports said on Sunday.
In north-eastern Kelantan state, 11 people were killed due to the monsoonal floods, while some 4,110 people were forced to flee their homes, state news agency Bernama reported.
The government is ferrying food and other essential items via airforce helicopters and boats since supermarkets in the badly hit areas are running out of supplies, the New Sunday Times newspaper said.
Among the latest victims was a 35-year-old man whose body was found in an irrigation canal and a three-year boy who drowned after falling into a drain.
Roads, a major mode of transport in the country, are cut in Kelantan, central Pahang state and southern Johor state, which neighbours Singapore.
In Pahang state, seven people have died and more than 22,000 people were displaced, while in Johor, three people have been killed and 3,800 people are being housed in relief centres.
Meteorological officials have issued a red warning, the highest alert, for Pahang state and they forecast continued heavy rain for the country, the newspaper reported.
The wet weather has also destroyed prawn and oyster farms worth at least RM150,000 ringgit (S$64,992) in Johor and is also having an impact on oil palm and rubber output. Malaysia is the world's largest oil palm producer. -- AFP
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