December’s floods cost RM2.6bil in damage to homes, vehicles

 

Selangor bore the brunt of the devastating floods that hit several states in the peninsula in December. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: Last month’s floods led to about RM2.6 billion in damage to houses, household possessions and vehicles, the department of statistics said.

It said this was part of the RM6.1 billion in total losses suffered.

In a statement today, the department said damage to public assets and infrastructure cost RM2 billion, and business premises RM500 million. The manufacturing sector lost RM900 million, and the agriculture sector RM90.6 million.

Chief statistician Uzir Mahidin said the RM6.1 billion total loss was equivalent to 0.4% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

Selangor was the worst affected in terms of damage to living quarters. It experienced RM1 billion in damage to homes, followed by Pahang (RM425.6 million) and Melaka (RM69.7 million). The district of Petaling alone saw damage totalling RM258 million.

On damage to vehicles, Selangor again suffered the most with losses amounting to RM855 million, over 10 times the amount suffered by the next worst affected state of Pahang (RM78.2 million).

Selangor also experienced the most damage to business premises (RM855 million) and losses in the manufacturing sector (RM884.5 million). - FMT