Mudslides hit several homes
22/01/2007 The Star BY KULDEEP S. JESSY

KUALA LUMPUR: At least two housing areas were hit by mudslides and floods after an evening downpour that washed down silt from nearby construction sites.

In the affluent Damansara Heights area, families staying at six houses in Jalan Derumun had to spend the night cleaning up the mud which had gushed into their compounds and homes during the downpour.

The heavy rain, which began at about 6pm and lasted less than 15 minutes, also caused the basement carpark of the Seri Pinang apartments in Serdang to be inundated with at least 0.5m of mud.

One of the affected Damansara Heights residents Datin Chua Lay Kim said the mudslide and flooding which was at a level of one metre was due to a nearby housing project.

She claimed that a storm drain had been blocked by construction debris and mud, causing it to overflow.

Chua added that on Saturday, at least three houses were affected by mudslides after heavy rain.

Another resident, who did not want to be identified, said that muddy water gushed into the houses within minutes of the rain.

She said the area had never experienced such incidents before the construction work began.

The residents were later assisted by several workers from the construction site to clean up their homes.

An officer from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall floods operation centre said a team was sent to the area to assess the situation, adding that the developer had been directed to clean up the clogged storm drain in Damansara Heights today.

At the Seri Pinang apartments, a resident Chua Sii Chin, 28, claimed the mudslide at the car park was caused by a hillslope condominium project behind the apartment block.

He claimed that part of the fencing behind the apartments had also been destroyed following the mudslide.