12 people perish in eastern Malaysia as heavy rains play havoc

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 (AFP): At least 12 people were killed in landslides in Malaysia's Sabah state after heavy rains battered the Borneo island region for the past week, news reports said Tuesday.
More than 2,000 people living in low-lying areas including around the capital Kota Kinabalu have been evacuated due to recent flooding, rescue authorities said.
The worst incident happened on Monday, when debris hit an informal dwelling on the outskirts of the capital, killing eight people including four children, the New Straits Times reported.
Three others, including a 10-year-old girl were killed in another landslide at Gana, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Kota Kinabalu, also Monday, while a 97-year-old man was buried by mud at Penampang last week, outside the city Heavy downpours have hit Sabah on northeastern Borneo for the past 10 days, flooding low-lying areas, causing landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure in Malaysia's poorest state. Low-lying areas in Sabah are especially prone to regular flooding, especially during the November to March monsoon season.
Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Amidi late Monday mobilised the Southeast Asian country's response agencies to help with search and rescue operations in the region.