With millions across Asia on edge for new tsunamis, residents of Brunei's capital fled in panic Thursday after heavy rains caused rare floods in the oil-rich sultanate. People ran for higher ground after a three-hour downpour before dawn caused torrents of water to crash down from hills to low-lying areas in Bandar Seri Begawan, submerging cars and inundating many homes in up to 4 feet (1 meter) of water. "We were woken up by shouts as people living further along the foot of the hill fled as the watery avalanche threatened them," said teacher Hardi Mohd Ali. "We saw water up to our waist." There were no reports of deaths or casualties. Local media described the incident as a "mini tsunami," underscoring concerns about the disaster that hit many other countries across South Asia. Brunei, which is on the northern tip of Borneo island, was not affected. Workers and residents were busy mopping up the damage Thursday, taking their vehicles for repairs and sweeping away the mud that buried roads across the city.
