PETALING JAYA: In a scene reminiscent of the recent December floods, Malaysian students were rescued by small boats and brought to higher ground after heavy rains hit Queensland, Australia.

       Arif Azhan Hazlan, 21, said he and his hostel mates were rescued by the Brisbane City State Emergency Service after floodwater had completely submerged the first floor of their triple-storey student accommodation, leaving the students stranded on the second floor.

       The data science student at the University Of Queensland, Australia, said the water level had covered his feet, even though he lives on the second floor at a private student accommodation in St Lucia.

       He said they did not expect the water to rise so fast, and it was terrifying seeing the water rise as heavy rains hit the region for nearly two days.

       “It did not seem like it was going to stop any time soon and it was scary. The electricity had also been cut off and we were living in complete darkness for two nights,” he said.

       “We called the Brisbane City State Emergency Service to get us out of the student accommodation as we were running out of food. Electricity had also been cut off.

       Deep, deep trouble: Emergency services personnel evacuating university students trapped in their accommodation in St Lucia.

       “We couldn’t cook, so we just depended on dry food such as bread and biscuits.

       “The flood situation is very bad,” said Arif Azhan just after he arrived at another student accommodation block in the university that now serves as an evacuation centre for the students.

       “The water is more than 3.5m deep. Bus stops, cars, lorries – they are all under water,” he said, adding that he had never experienced this kind of flooding back home in Kuantan, Pahang.

       Another student Nur Yasmin Hani Zainal, 19, said it was a rude shock to be caught in the floods as the weather had been hot and sunny since her arrival in Queensland a few weeks ago.

       “The first few weeks when I arrived here, it was extremely hot so I had no clue that we were going to be faced with this flood crisis.

       “It rained heavily for three days straight starting from Friday but I thought it was only because of seasonal changes,” she added.

       “The locals also didn’t know what to do when the first rising water started since this wasn’t a regular experience here in Brisbane,” she said, adding that the last flood was more than a decade ago in 2011.

       “We had rising water practically everywhere, especially in the area where I currently reside, Sir Fred Schonell, which is near my university,” she said.

       She is now staying at a staff housing area in Hawken Drive that was provided by the University of Queensland’s Student Services.

       Nur Yasmin Hani added that the university has cancelled all classes, including online ones, following the disaster.

       Her Vietnamese friend Isabella Phan, 19, said she was worried after hearing about the flood situation in the state, although she was not affected by it.

       “I’m a bit worried that I might not be able to go for groceries this week due to roadblocks, no public transport and areas around me being flooded.

       “There aren’t any delivery services around me. So if this flood lasts for longer, people might run out of food,” she said.

       Thankfully, she added, the weather was improving.

       On Monday, Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said 75 Malaysian students had been relocated to temporary housing at the University of Queensland due to floods in the Australian state.

       In a tweet on Monday morning, he said another 35 were currently being relocated.

       He added that there were currently 348 Malaysians in Queensland, including 200 students.