Deepavali picnic in Malaysia turns tragic as flash floods hit Selangor

A tragic accident occurred during a Deepavali picnic in Malaysia when flash floods struck, resulting in the death of one man and leaving seven others missing. Selangor and Perak states were evacuated due to the intensifying monsoon season, while strong monsoon winds triggered a surge in thunderstorms nationwide, helping to clear a haze that had plagued the region for months.

The victim, V. Vijayan, was found at a bridge approximately 2.7km from the Sungai Pertak picnic site in Selangor on Tuesday morning. He, along with a group of people, had gathered there to celebrate the festival, also known as Diwali. Seven individuals – four Indian nationals and three others from Yemen, Sri Lanka, and Nepal – are still missing, and search operations are ongoing across four sectors surrounding the flooded riverbank area.

One person was rescued on Tuesday morning, with a total of 19 individuals saved from the hazardous conditions. This marks the first fatality linked to the recent flooding, which previously caused a bridge collapse in Selangor and led to massive traffic disruptions after sections of a major highway were submerged in floodwaters. Just days earlier, thousands had to navigate through surging flash floods in the low-lying township of Puncak Alam, with residents blaming inadequate drainage and poorly managed development for their ongoing struggles.

In response to these challenges, Chief Minister Amirudin Shari imposed an immediate halt on all construction activities in the affected area and called for a reevaluation of Selangor's flood mitigation plan and environmental impact assessments, stating that the government must address the climate change crisis to avoid further harm to the public.

The government pledged to provide 1,500 ringgit (US$369) in aid to flood evacuees, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim later announcing an additional 2,500 ringgit for all eligible households impacted by the floods in Selangor. Malaysia, like much of Southeast Asia, has been grappling with worsening floods in recent years due to worsening climate shifts that swing between record temperatures and unprecedented rainfall.

In late 2024, floods swept across nine Malaysian states, killing six people and causing nearly 1 billion ringgit in damages, devastating homes, crops, and forcing the evacuation of 150,000 residents. In 2023, a "once-in-a-century" flood in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor damaged an estimated 6 billion ringgit worth of public infrastructure, homes, and vehicles.