JOHOR BAHRU: Firefighters rescued 17 Hindu devotees preparing for the Thaipusam festival at the Sri Muniswarar Maha Mariamman temple in Kampung Kangkar Tebrau Kiri here last night, after flash floods hit the area.
Tebrau fire and rescue station operations commander Khairul Azhar Abd Aziz said they received a report at 10.13pm and sent a team to the scene.
“Heavy rain throughout the day caused water to rise to 3m before the temple management contacted the fire department.
“The area is prone to floods, especially during prolonged periods of rain,” he said in a statement today.
Khairul said the trapped devotees, comprising eight men, eight women and a boy, were evacuated to a safe location by midnight. No casualties were reported.