Malaysia floods claim second victim as waters begin to subside

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Floods triggered by torrential rains in Malaysia claimed a second victim as waters started to subside, allowing thousands of evacuees to return home from relief centres, reports said on Thursday.

Fifteen-year-old Mohammed Hamidi Abdul Hamid drowned while playing in a flooded field in Terengganu - one of three north-eastern states hit by heavy rain - on Wednesday, according to state news agency Bernama.

The previous day Samhanim Ramli, 36, died after slipping into a river as she tried to cast a fishing net, according to the Star newspaper.

The floods had forced the evacuation of almost 20,000 people by Wednesday evening as fast-rising water reached the roofs of houses in some areas. More than four thousand had returned home by Thursday morning, Bernama news agency said.