Sg Buloh folk tell of deafening boom as bund gives way

SUNGAI BULOH: A deafening boom was heard by residents in Saujana Utama here as a water retention bund collapsed in Taman Seri Alam, sending a torrent of water into their homes this evening.

Hafifi Saleh, 38, said he had noticed that the reservoir, located just 15 metres from his house, had been full since yesterday.

“While chatting outside my house with a friend, I suddenly heard a loud sound and saw that the bund had collapsed, sending a strong flow of water into my house and my neighbours’ homes.

“I quickly grabbed my wife and children, got them into my four-wheel-drive vehicle and drove to safety,” he told Bernama at the scene.

Hafifi, who is self-employed, said the incident happened so quickly that he could not save any belongings as the water poured in rapidly. “The water entered my house up to two feet high. After assessing the damage, I realised most of my furniture and household items were ruined.”

Another resident, Samsudin Adun, 49, said this was the second time such an incident had occurred. “The first incident was in 2014, but the flood back then wasn’t as severe as today,” he said.

Samsudin, who was not home at the time, only learned about the incident through the neighbourhood’s WhatsApp group.

“A neighbour informed us that the bund in front of my house had collapsed, causing a flash flood. My family and I rushed home and found water about 60cm-high (2ft) inside the house. Thankfully, the water subsided within 30 minutes,” he said.

He urged the authorities to repair the bund immediately, especially since the area frequently experiences heavy rainfall during the northeast monsoon season.

Kuala Selangor municipal councillor Maisarah Ismail said temporary barriers would be built at the site to prevent further flooding in the event of more heavy rain.

She estimated that 10 houses were badly affected by today’s flash floods and said the victims had been advised to evacuate, but they opted to stay and clean their homes since the water had receded.

“Cleanup efforts and clearing debris from the collapse will be carried out tonight, followed by the construction of a temporary barrier,” she added.

The Selangor fire and rescue department said it received a distress call about the incident at 5.15pm. The embankment’s collapse caused water to flood the housing area, but no injuries or casualties were reported.