Freak Storm Hit Several Areas In Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 (Bernama) -- A freak storm hit Lembah Pantai here this evening, sending the zink sheets from the roof of 12 Seri Chempaka flats flying, damaging cars and motorcycles. No injures or loss of lives were reported in the 6pm incident. The top floor of the flat is occupied. Pantai fire and rescue station operation chief Hamid Daud said they received a call at 7.05pm and arrived at the scene three minutes later. "Eight personnel from the Damansara station came to assist us. We are now cleaning up the zink sheets which have fallen from the roof," he told reporters when met at the scene. Thirty motorcycles and 10 cars were damaged in the incident. The roof of the nearby Muhibbah Flat in Taman Desa was also damaged in the incident. Taman Desa fire and rescue station chief Saparisan Ramli said no injuries were reported. A Seri Chempaka resident, Ahmad Yusof, 58, said it was drizzling at first but was quickly followed by howling winds. "Children who were playing at the flat compound screamed upon seeing the zink sheets falling. Several car are also damaged," he said. Twenty-six firemen and three engines from the Pantai, Hang Tuah and Seri Hartamas stations were involved in the operation. Another Seri Cempaka resident, Mohd Izwan Abd Rahmad, 24, said he came to know that his car was damaged when he looked out of the window from his 14th floor unit. "I saw zink sheets crashing down, damaging my car," he said. Meanwhile, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin who visited the affected PPR Sri Cempaka flats said the ministry through the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would allocate between RM500,000 to RM1 million to repair the houses damaged by a freak thunderstorm Wednesday. (US$1=RM3.07) The areas affected by the thunderstorm today were Sungai Besi, Seputeh, PPR Kampung Limau, Pangsapuri Taman Desa and PPR Sri Cempaka here. "In Sri Cempaka we have identified three families that need to be relocated because of extensive damage to their houses," he told reporters here Wednesday night. Raja Nong Chik said DBKL would repair the damaged premises soon. He added that BEWG (M) Sdn Bhd, a waste management company had also come forward to contribute RM50,000 to repair the damaged houses. -- BERNAMA -- BERNAMA