The Star, Wednesday September 5, 2012

Serdang, Kajang hit by floods

KUALA LUMPUR: Flash floods inundated houses and submerged cars in the Kajang and Serdang districts in Selangor, which were described by residents as one of the worst that they have experienced so far.

Floods were reported in Kajang Heights, Country Heights, Sungai Ramal Dalam, Taman Sri Serdang, Serdang Jaya and Seri Kembangan at about 5pm.

Motorists were also trapped in massive jams in several areas in the city since 6.30pm yesterday, especially at the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban PLUS highway in Sungai Besi.

PLUS said in a Twitter message that the route between Kajang and Serdang at KM303 of the highway was flooded due to heavy rain.

Moving to higher ground: Residents of Taman Sri Serdang fleeing the flooded areas.

 

Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operations Mohamad Sani Harul said they received reports of floods in Taman Sri Serdang, Sungai Chua and Jed Hill housing area in Kajang at around 6pm yesterday.

“We dispatched several boats to help evacuate about 600 students and teachers from two schools in Taman Sri Serdang who were trapped there after the afternoon session ended,” he said.

Civil Defence Department operations control centre officer Mohd Hazli Hanifah Mohd Hanafi said the floodwaters at Taman Sri Serdang was at waist level at 10pm before it subsided.

Another officer said a six-man team was sent to Country Heights with one rescue boat as they received information that 20 houses were submerged.

Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah said the flood was due to Sungai Kuyoh overflowing.

In Taman Sri Serdang, residents returning home from work said they had to abandon their vehicles when floodwaters rose to 1.5m.

Lorry driver V. Ratnakumar, 49, said he was stuck for about four hours as the roads leading to his house were flooded.

“I was on my way home when my son called to tell me that the neighbourhood was flooded,” he said.

Universiti Putra Malaysia employee Siti Hajar Mohd Saad, 23, said she wanted to go out at 4.30pm when floodwaters rose around her car.

“I had no choice but to switch off my car engine,” she said, adding that this was the first time she had experienced floods this bad in her neighbourhood.

Taman Sri Serdang Rukun Tetangga chairman Khalid Lambak claimed it was the worst flood he had seen in the area in the past 30 years, adding that about 130 vehicles were submerged in the flood.

As at midnight, there has been no reports of casualties or missing persons lodged.