Flash floods wreak havoc in KL, thousands stranded

Flash floods wreak havoc in KL, thousands stranded KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 —
Thousands of people were left trapped and stranded either in buildings, bus stations or light rail transit stations in the capital city following flash floods after a heavy downpour since 3pm. Several major roads were inundated with floodwaters of between one and two metres while hundreds of cars were flooded up to the roof.

At the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), some 1,000 people and staff at the building were trapped in the darkness following a power outage while those who did manage to find their way out had to stay put in the building as the roads around the area were flooded.

Civil Defence officer in charge of operations, Second Lt Shahrul Kamar Mohd Johari, said the unusually heavy rain caused water from the nearby Klang River to overflow onto the surrounding areas and roads. “The floods started at 6pm and we received calls an hour later that about 1,000 people were unable to make their way out of PWTC because of the dark condition following the power outage,” he told Bernama when contacted.

He said that efforts were underway to reach those trapped in the building but said that it would be a daunting task because of the very low visibility. “We are trying to move in and get all those trapped out safely,” he said. Meanwhile several main roads in the city such as the Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Tun Ismail, Jalan Rahmat, Jalan Sentul, Jalan Kasipillay and Jalan Duta were inundated with floodwater, causing massive traffic jams. A check by Bernama around Jalan Ipoh showed that several rows of shops and hundreds of cars were flooded when the water at the Sungai Batu overflowed.

Among the buildings affected were the Sentul Fire and Rescue Station, Jalan Ipoh Mother and Child Clinic, Jalan Ipoh Health Clinic as well as the MIC building. Along Jalan Putra, dozens of cars were flooded up to the roof. Earlier today, in Kuala Terengganu, about 500 students were trapped when three schools in Setiu and Besut were flooded after the morning session began today due to heavy rain the night before. Jalan Kampung Chalok and Kampung Lubuk Panjang in Setiu were under water causing about 400 students of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Chalok and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Chalok to be unable to go home after school ended at noon.

Waters from Sungai Tok Dor and Sungai Renek in Besut flooded SK Bukit Jerok up to 0.5m causing students to be moved to higher floors. About 100 students were allowed to go home when it was safe after being trapped since 8am.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Kampung Chalok Kedai Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK), Abdul Wahab Abdul Rahman, said about 400 students and teachers of SK Chalok and SMK Chalok had to be transported by lorries of the Setiu district council to their homes. A spokesman of the state education department said if the situation persisted students and teachers affected would be let off school. — Bernama