Thousands of people in rural Brunei have been stranded by flood waters up to two metres (yards) deep, a newspaper reported on Thursday.

Heavy rains on Tuesday night rendered roads in Tutong district impassable, forcing some residents to use boats for transport, the Borneo Bulletin reported.

"Many couldn't get out of their villages because the main road is submerged under water while many were unable to return home," the Bulletin quoted Omar bin Abdul Azif, a village chief, as saying. He added that students could not get to their classes.

Last month two people died after heavy rains caused landslides and flooding that were among the sultanate's worst ever, the Bulletin said.