FLASH FLOODS WREAK HAVOC IN KL, THOUSANDS STRANDED

KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 (Bernama) -- 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 Tuesday's 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.

The flash floods also disrupted public transportations, with thousands of
people were still stranded at bus stations or LRT stations as of 8pm.

Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integriti Deras Sdn Bhd (RapidKL) stopped all its
Kelana Jaya Line services at slightly over 6pm due to power disruption.

RapidKL said that the service could only return to normal when power was
restored.

To the relief of many, the floods began receding when the pounding rain
eased to a drizzle at around 7pm.

-- BERNAMA