‘Winter monsoon’ causes serious damage to roads and massive floods in Pahang (VIDEO)

Jerry Choong

3 January 2021 at 8:04 am·2-min read

The old Bentong-Raub road, where a landslide destroyed a good portion and cutting off travellers from one end to another. — Picture via Twitter

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — The onset of the winter monsoon at the start of 2021 has led to massive floods and in some cases collapsing structures — with the most seriously affected areas concentrated in several of Pahang’s districts.

Malaysian social media was abuzz with activity as users shared videos and photographs of the heavy downpour and the results of the aftermath.

One user on Twitter shared a 36-second video clip of a road leading to Cameron Highlands, in which both directions of the road is cut off by thick debris and a flooding torrent of muddy water.

Another shared an even more shocking 29-second video of a collapsing bridge road over a river, believed to be at Kampung Lechar in Dong, Pahang.

A portion of the bridge was already partially broken and proceeded to collapse and sink into the river mere seconds into the video.

A picture shared on Twitter indicated the state of the old Bentong-Raub road, which was completely cut off due to what appears to be a massive landslide that partially destroyed the road.

A food stall in Ulu Tembeling, with only its roof and signage visible, indicating the severity of the floods in Pahang. — Picture via Twitter

Another picture showed a rural food stall in Ulu Tembeling almost completely submerged under the floodwaters, with only the roof and stall sign visible.

Similar sights could be seen elsewhere in the state, as one user shared a picture of a village in Maran district where only telephone poles and building roofs could be seen above the waters.

A village in Maran district where the floodwaters have risen to dangerous levels, leaving only building roods and telephone poles exposed. — Picture via Twitter

Meanwhile, 13 vehicles were trapped by the two landslides which occurred along the Jalan Raub-Bukit Fraser, which occurred around 1.30pm today.

The vehicles were stuck as they could not drive from Fraser’s Hill due to the landslide at KM2 of the road.

When they attempted to return to Fraser’s Hill, they were also unable to do so as another landslide took place at KM4 of the same road.

No casualties were reported, and a road-care team from nearby Kuala Kubu Baru in Selangor was dispatched to conduct clean-up operations.

The flooding and heavy downpour is part of a cold snap that has enveloped parts of West Malaysia, with temperatures across the Klang Valley dropping to as low as 23 degrees Celsius today.

Dubbed a winter monsoon, the Malaysian Meteorological Department said the season, which began on November 11 last year, is expected to continue until March.