Rain causes traffic chaos in the Klang Valley
The Star 6/11/2004
KUALA LUMPUR: A three-hour thunderstorm unleashed flash floods in
several parts of the Klang Valley that turned roads into waterways,
causing widespread jams during the evening rush hour.
One of the worst-hit areas was the Pekeliling flats where two
families from the ground floor had to be evacuated after knee-deep
flood waters entered their homes.
In other parts of the valley, at least 118 families had to be
evacuated.
The underpass linking Jalan Duta with Jalan
Istana in Kuala Lumpur turned into a river after a three-hour
downpour yesterday. The heavy rain and flash floods caused massive
traffic snarls all over the city centre as vehicles were gridlocked.
Floodwaters rose to a metre in some places at one
time.
Among the badly affected areas were Jalan Parlimen, Segambut, Jalan
Sg Besi, Old Klang Road, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Damansara, Jalan
Duta and parts of the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE).
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall rescue squad said almost 50 families in
Kampung Sungai Udang in Segambut had to be evacuated.
In Sungai Besi, Civil Defence Department personnel evacuated 60
families from Kampung Malaysia Tambahan to the community hall near
the village.
A motorist, among scores of people who called The Star between 6pm
to 7pm from their stranded vehicles, described the situation as
horrendous.
“This is one of the worst flash floods I have experienced in the
city,” he said. “I feel sorry for my Muslim friends who could not
break their fast.”
The thunderstorm started at 4.30pm and lasted for about three hours.
City Hall’s flood monitoring centre at Jalan Tun Razak reported
flash floods at Kg Bakar.
“We have sent our people over there to assess the situation,” said a
spokesman.
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: One of the areas
affected by flash floods in Kuala Lumpur last night was the
Pekeliling flats at Jalan Tun Razak.
Bukit Lanjan state assemblyman Yong Dai Ying said
poor drainage problem was believed to be one of the causes of the
floods during rainy days.
She said she would discuss with the respective government agencies,
housing developers and resident associations to find ways to solve
the problem.
In Klang and Shah Alam, flash floods caused drains to overflow with
water rising as high as 0.3m in many parts.
Traffic was at a standstill around the Klang town centre and on
major roads such as Persiaran Sultan Ibrahim, Persiaran Tengku
Ampuan Rahimah, Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, Jalan Tengku Kelana, Jalan
Pasar, Jalan Raya Barat, Jalan Meru and Jalan Kapar.
The high water level made traffic impassable at the NKVE several
kilometres after the Bukit Rajah toll plaza between 8pm and 9.30pm.
In Kajang, several main roads in the town and Jalan Reko were
flooded.
Floodwaters also rose in Taman Billion, Metro Kajang and at the
railway tracks at the Kajang station.
City Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Abu
Obaidat Mohamed said the department has only attended to two minor
landslides in Old Klang Road and a tree collapse report in Jalan
Parlimen.
He said there were no major rescue operations in the city.
In Malacca, workers from Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) worked
round the clock to repair the stretch of railway track damaged near
Tebong, about 50km from the city centre, and services were fully
restored at 7pm yesterday.
About 20 of them working with heavy equipment braved the
intermittent rains.
Several senior KTMB officials were also at the site to check on the
progress while Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam
dropped by before Friday prayers.
The affected site was between the Tampin and Gemas railway stations. |
