Crazy hailstorm, flash floods, and “snowfall” – Kuala Lumpur was truly at the mercy of Mother Nature last Friday (3rd June 2016).
It was mayhem in the city where office workers of the Standard Chartered Bank branch at Wisma Scope International in Bukit Jalil experienced a terrifying episode when walls and the ceiling of their office caved in from above, shattering its windows in the process.
A 30-second video clip that captured the scary incident had already made its way on several social media sites. As the office was being hit, office workers can be seen scrambling away in panic while some decided to take cover under their desk to avoid being crushed by the falling ceiling.
The office was immediately exposed to the strong wind and rain. Panic-stricken screams and the emergency alarm can be heard throughout the clip while the employees were being asked to evacuate the building.
On the same evening, other parts of KL also took a hard hit. The severe hailstorm also tore the roof of a petrol station while KL City Hall (DBKL) reported that at least 6 locations had experienced fallen trees due to strong winds.
According to MalaysiaKini, these locations were along Jalan Kinabalu to Jalan Maharajalela, the exit at Jalan Tun Razak, along Bukit Jalil Highway near Technology Park Malaysia, Alam Damai, Desa Tasik, Bukit Damansara and Sri Permaisuri.
Several staff from Astro were shocked to see their vehicles damaged after uprooted trees fell on their cars. “We were in the office when we heard a loud noise outside the building. Some chaos was taking place, so my colleagues and I rushed downstairs to see what was going,” said Mogan Muniandy, an Astro Radio news editor.
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“We were shocked to see some 10 cars damaged in my office area. About 2 or 3 vehicles were badly dented due to uprooted trees,” he added. According to City Fire and Rescue Department chief operations officer Samsol Maarif Saibani, the department received reports of at least 45 fallen trees around the city last Friday.
The surprise didn’t just end there. “Snow” was also spotted at Astro’s headquarters as well as several Sungai Besi areas. Although this isn’t the first time Malaysia has experienced hailstones, the fact that giant pallets of ice were raining from above does raise some concerns.
Drivers on the road as well as commuters relying on train service were also not spared. Flash floods that took place in several major roads and areas (namely Jalan Duta, Jalan Bangsar, Jalan Pantai Baru, Jalan Genting Klang, Middle Ring Road 2, Taman Melati, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Imbi and the Shah Alam Highway) also brought traffic to a standstill, thus causing massive jams and worsening the rush hour.
Passengers on the Putra Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Express Rail Link (ERL) were reportedly left stranded due to power failure caused by the violent storm. “While services between Cheras and Sri Petaling stopped from 6.24pm, train services continued with longer waiting period between Awan Besar and Bandar Puteri,” said Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd CEO, Ahmad Nizam Mohamed Amin.
LRT passenger, K. Parkaran, 62, told The Star that he and 200 other commuters were stuck for more than 2 hours at the Sri Petaling station before normal service resumed at 9pm.
Well, it looks like Malaysia’s weather won’t be improving anytime soon. So get your umbrellas ready and be safe people!
Sources: NST, Says, The Star, MalaysiaKini, The Rakyat Post, Astro Awani/ Featured Image: Says.
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