Evacuations, traffic snarls and a massive clean-up followed five hours of rain in and around the city.

The downpour started at 2am followed by flash floods, which forced 445 people living in low lying areas into evacuation centres.

State Disaster Management Committee Secretariat head Lt Kol Effendy Ali said yesterday that two schools in Tanjung Minyak and a community hall in Krubong were turned into temporary shelters for those affected.

The worse affected were those living in Peringgit, Kampung Pulau Kepala, Bukit Baru, Putat, Taman Bukit Beruang Bistari, Taman Melawis, Kampung Pengkalan Batu, Kampung Bukit Pulau, Kampung Tanjung Minyak, Sungai Air Hitam, Kampung Tampoi, Taman Rambai Utama, Taman Rambai Jaya and Kampung Bertam Ulu.

Mohd Ali Husin, 56, from Kampung Pulau Kepala, blamed the flash floods on nearby development.

“We complained to the authorities but nothing was done,” he said.

Morning rush-hour traffic was made worse by the downpour.

Mohd Khaiurl Abdullah, 45, said he was stuck in a jam for almost two hours in Jalan Gajah Berang and his children arrived late to school.

“This was the first time I experienced such a situation,” he added.

Motorists in Klebang, Taman Melaka Raya, Ujong Pasir and Banda Hilir were also affected.

The popular river cruise along Sungai Melaka had to be suspended when water levels became too dangerous.

In JOHOR, a mudslide from a nearby housing construction site caused a mess at SK Taman Scientex in Masai.

State Health, Environment, Edu­cation and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the incident happened at 2pm following a downpour.

“The muddy water flowed from the site and into the school grounds, affecting the main compound, pedestrian walkway, canteen and parking area.

“Staff members and workers at the school started clearing the mess after water started to recede at about 3pm,” he said in a statement.

The location of the school at a low-lying area along with poor drainage and the construction site contributed to the mudslide, he said.

He added that this was the third mudslide at the school this year.

Ayub said that the school had been in contact with the developer since the first incident on Jan 16 and a report had been submitted to the district education office for further action.

Separately, he said two families were evacuated from their homes in Tangkak due to heavy rain.

Seven people from Kampung Seri Makmor had been temporarily placed at the village surau, he added.

In KUALA LUMPUR, the heavy rain caused massive congestion on several roads and expressways.

Kuala Lumpur traffic chief Asst Comm Mohd Nadzri Hussain said there were no serious accidents reported but traffic was reduced to a crawl on most major roads.

ACP Mohd Nadzri said a trailer that overturned on the MRR2 worsened the congestion in the early morning.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by BY R.S.N. MURALI, FARIK ZOLKEPLI, andKATHLEEN ANN KILI

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