By PRIYA MENON Photos by S.S. KANESAN | Apr 13, 2010
Freak storm hits the city
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Picking up the pieces: Residents having a closer look at one of the damaged cars.
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priya@thestar.com.my
A FREAK storm that hit the Klang Valley on Sunday evening caused massive damage to homes, public property and vehicles.
Among the worst hit places were Block 102 at PPR Seri Pantai and PPR Kampung Limau where at least nine cars were damaged by debris felling from the roofs.
“Sometime between 5.30pm and 6pm, my family and I heard a loud noise. We stepped out and watched as the lightning struck and the strong wind howled,” odd-job worker Sulasteri Basar, 32, said.
After witnessing the incident, she walked into her house only to find one of her rooms leaking due to the missing roof.
“I had to skip work this morning because I was so afraid something might happen at home. The water seeped into the wires yesterday and I have small children to care for,” added Sulasteri, who lives on the 17th floor.
Another victim, Rosmadi Darus, 47, watched helplessly as the debris from the roof destroyed his car. When he heard the rain, he brought his two-year-old child outside to watch the rain but when he opened the door, he felt the strong wind.
“I immediately called my wife and asked her to bring the child in. Instinctively, I looked down to where the cars and motorcycles were parked and realised that the motorcycles had fallen over and my car had pieces of wood sticking out of it,” he said.
His car had shattered windows and his back seat was ripped apart by a piece of wood.
Ahmad Saffri, 53, was enjoying a chat with friends at a stall near the flats when the storm began. When the canopies from the row of stalls were blown away by the wind, he and four others ran for cover.
“I ran towards the flats and saw the pieces of wood and zinc flying everywhere. I was just praying that my car would be spared when I saw a piece of wood crash into it,” he added.
Federal Territory and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin visited the flats yesterday morning to assess the damage.
He said residents whose cars were damaged could lodge a police report over the incident and claim insurance from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for third party insurance.
“As for the work here it should be done within two weeks. We will hasten the process so it will not cause inconvenience to the residents,” Nong Chik added.
DBKL had started cleaning up the mess yesterday. The cost to repair the damage has not been estimated yet.
Other places affected include Old Klang Road, Kampung Malaysia Tambahan in Sungai Besi and Salak South.
Trees and power lines were uprooted at Old Klang road while 17 houses in Kampung Malaysia Tambahan were damaged by falling trees.
Three houses were also reported damaged in Salak South.
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