21 children & 19 teachers rescued from M'sia cave after getting trapped by flash flood

21 children and 19 adults were rescued from a cave in Kelantan, Malaysia by firefighters after being trapped there for at least two hours during a flash flood on Nov. 21.

According to China Press, the group was from a kindergarten in the neighbouring state of Terengganu.

They were trapped in the Kampong Gua Ikan caves, a tourist attraction in the Dabong district of Kelantan on Nov. 21, The Star reported.

The rescue

Dabong fire department operations commander Mohd Aiman Aminuddin told Malaysian media that they received an emergency call from a member of the public at 3:24 pm.

Seven personnel were deployed to rescue the trapped victims, and they reached the location six minutes later, he said.

"The team used a boat to evacuate and transfer the victims to safety, and the rescue operation was completed by 5:13pm,” he added.

In light of the incident, Dabong's fire department advised the public to avoid all water-based recreational and extreme sports activities, as well as high-risk areas during the monsoon season.

Rain, rain in Malaysia

Heavy rains have inundated parts of Malaysia recently.

Malaysia's meteorological agency has issued a severe continuous rain warning for three states, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Pahang until Nov. 23, Bernama reported.

The rains have contributed to dangerously high river levels in Terengganu and Kelantan, according to The Star.

More than 60 flood victims were also evacuated to a temporary relief centre in the nearby state of Perak.

Top image from Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Dabong/Facebook