MORE PICS-Fate of LANDSLIDE Flats in 1 Month; 571 Victims AFFECTED Relocated to New Sri SEMARAK Flats, Setapak; LANDSLIDE Causes being INVESTIGATED

Update: Oct 12 06;
October 11, 2006 22:38 PM

Landslide Victims To Stay In New Homes For Free For Three Months
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 (Bernama) -- The landslide victims from the Section 10 flats in Wangsa Maju will be given a reprieve from having to pay rent for three months when relocated to temporary homes at City Hall's People Housing Projects (PHP). The Federal Territories Ministry and City Hall would also bear the electricity and water bills during the period, said Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique.
"The Cabinet, which has been informed about the matter, has agreed to relocate the victims of the landslide to a PHP, especially the one at Seri Semerak," he told reporters after breaking his fast with the victims, here Wednesday.He said each family was also given compensation of RM2,000 and the total amount handed out to them which came to RM276,000 was contributed by government agencies, the private sector and individuals.
About 600 residents of four blocks of flats in the area had to be evacuated when a section of the hillside nearby collapsed, taking along several vehicles with it on Monday. Zulhasnan said that City Hall would provide free transportation for the flat dwellers to move their belongings to their temporary homes on Saturday.
On the remedial work in the area, he said the contractor of the Duta-Hulu Kelang Expressway in the vicinity of the flats was taking steps to reinforce the collapsed hillside. Zulhasnan said the causes of the landslide, which was being studied by the Malaysian Public Works Institute, would be made public and he hoped the results would be known in one month time. He said that the land in the affected area was still not stable.

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ABOVE and BELOW; A visit to the site would indicate that these flats should NOT have been built in the first place. Under present guidelines, the Minister of Environment & Natural Resiurces would have demanded an EIA study as the slopes they were built were greater than 20 degrees. The developer was greed y to maximixe profits. These flats on slopes are so close to a ravine more than 15m below
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ABOVE: New roadworks and the construction of the DUKE (Duta Ulu Kelang Expressway); Note the LRT line at Setiwangsa); BELOW: Note the DUKE highway into the flats nearby and the construction of the Thunder storm Drainage

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ABOVE: The entrance to the newly uncompleted storm drainage at the bottom of the flats; BELOW: The abandoned section of the Drains after the landslide

4444444444444444444444444444444444444444ABOVE: The reinforced under-construction part of the drainage and BELOW: the partially completed Box culverts constructed on site. The drains were dug wider and deeper to accomodate the constrution and this could have further eroded the earthworks facing the flats. Samy Vellu has ordered the Duke Contractor to strengthen the collapsed part (see report below)

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ABOVE: Dewan Bandar Raya KL (DBKL) was in full force and brought along the "Portable Office" truck fully aircon and BELOW: Its Squad truck for rescue
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ABOVE: DBKL Water Tanker connected to the Portable Toilets (BELOW)


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ABOVE The Fire engine truck was at hand (for gas leak?) but BELOW: the firemen were redundant and chatting away under the sahde
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ABOVE: The scramble to move was urgent and residents were allowed to collect the essential and expensive items; BELOW: Some of the evacuees were in the Section 10 Hall

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ABOVE: Others were housed in the SR Asram just nearby and others with relatives. BELOW: The donated food and essential items in the Hall including the "dinner packages" -seen at 1pm for "breaking fast"?

Residents Fear LPG Tank May Explode If Another Landslide Occurs;

October 10, 2006 22:10 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- A victim of the landslide in Wangsa Maju fears that another one might trigger an explosion at the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage system there. Dzulfakar Alang, 49, said this was because the LPG tank that supplied cooking gas to residents at the flats and its piping system were underground. "In the event of another landslide, the pipelines may rupture and all it takes is a spark to ignite an explosion," he said here Tuesday. Dzulfakar said following Monday's landslide, residents could smell gas in the air and attributed it to a probable leak in the pipelines.
Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department Director, Mohammad Hamdan Wahid confirmed that the smell was due to gas leak as a result of the landslide. "Although the leak is small it can become a threat to the residents. We acted fast and informed Gas Malaysia to shut down the system," he said, adding that his department had also built two drains for water run-off and were using a pump to divert water to prevent the soil from becoming soggy, thus affecting building structures.
Meanwhile, a research officer at the National Soil Erosion Research Centre (NASEC) of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Mohd Shafee Harun, believed that the landslide had been due to heavy rain over last week. Shafee said an initial investigation showed that rainfall in the affected area measured 127 millimetres, causing the soil to sink.
"Landslides can happen if rainfall exceeds 100 millinmetres in one week. However, it depends on the hardness of the soil as heavy rainfall will not lead to a landslide if the soil is hard. The soil in Wangsa Maju is of the soft type and reddish in colour categorized as laterite," Shafee added.
NASEC conducts studies on landslides in the country by studying the amount of rainfall and type of soil.
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Fate of Wangsa Maju Flats To Be Known In A Month ; October 10, 2006 20:27 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- A decision on whether the four blocks of flats in Section 10, Wangsa Maju affected by a landslide are safe for dwelling will only be known in about a month's time. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique said the decision would be based on the report provided by the Malaysian Public Works Institute (Ikram).
"For the time being, residents of the four blocks will be put up at the Sri Semarak people's housing project in Setapak," he told reporters during a visit to the affected area here, Tuesday. Also present were Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ruslin Hassan.
Zulhasnan said the affected families would be moved to Sri Semarak, Setapak this weekend when power and water supply became available. They would be allowed to return to collect their belongings escorted by members of the security forces and other related agencies, he said.
Some 150 families were afected by the landslide Monday night. They are putting up at a religious school and homes of relatives. Zulhasnan said the developer of the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (Duke) had agreed to strengthen the slope where the landslide occurred to prevent a recurrence.
"Work on the slope will start tomorrow and will take ten days to complete. Ikram will be monitoring the work," he said, adding that the developer had also proposed that a large drain be constructed to drain rainfall from the area.

Meanwhile, Shahrizat said the Welfare Services Department would continue to provide aid for the victims housed at the temporary shelters. "We have distributed blankets, mats, clothing and food to them. Food will be given out continuously.
"The National Welfare Foundation has set aside RM45,000 to be distributed among the affected families. Each family will be receiving RM300," she said.
Shahrizat added that as of noon, some 138 families affected had registered with the Welfare Services Department. They comprised 571 victims of whom 467 are adults and 104 children.
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Heavy Rain Triggers Landslide, 600 Flat Dwellers Evacuated; October 09, 2006 21:48 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- A heavy downpour, Monday evening triggered a landslide at the back of a low-cost flats at Section 10 in Wangsa Maju, forcing 600 residents from four blocks to be evacuated. The 7.10pm landslide also destroyed the rubbish-dumping area when tonnes of earth and debris were washed down. The evacuated blocks are 3, 4, 5 and 6.
A Bernama check at the scene showed the police, Fire and Rescue Department and Civil Defence Department personnel urging the residents to vacate their premises in the event the situation worsened. Each block has 160 units. A resident Anuar Madon, 54, told Bernama the soil erosion started before the downpour at about 4pm.
"I saw a minor erosion behind the blocks. I took a stick and poked through the soil and it caved-in to about a metre deep...the soil was loose. "At about 6.45pm, I went to the Wangsa Maju police station to lodge a report on the incident and I was informed of the landslide at 7.10pm," he said.
He said most of the residents were breaking fast at the time of the incident. The authorities were at the scene by 7.30pm and immediately cleared the area for evacuation. Anuar, who has been staying at the flats for 19 years, claimed a similar landslide but a minor one occurred at the same site.
"Four days ago, I noticed soil movements. I repeatedly lodged reports but the authorities did not take them seriously," he added. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique told reporters at the scene that the landslide occurred behind Blocks 5 and 6.
"The landslide is very near to the two blocks but there were no human casualties. Six cars and few motorbikes were damaged in the incident," he said. He said residents of the affected blocks would be allowed to collect important documents and belongings in stages. "They will be watched by the police. We don't want everyone to go up at the same time as this can destabilise the buildings," said Zulhasnan, who is also Setiawangsa Member of Parliament.
He said the residents would be evacuated to multi-purpose halls in and around Wangsa Maju. Tuesday, the authorities, including the Drainage and Irrigation Department, would conduct investigations, he said. "This incident is serious but under control. We do not know the cause of the incident, whether it was triggered by underground water seepage or construction of the Duta-Hulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) near the blocks. "I have strongly advised the residents not to enter their blocks without the authorities' approval," he added.
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Samy Vellu Asks Highway Contractor To Repair Landslide Area; October 09, 2006 23:46 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has asked the contractor of the Duta-Hulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) to undertake remedial work at the site of the landslide in Wangsa Maju.
"I have directed the contractor to start work as soon as possible. I have also asked the Highway Authority of Malaysia to investigate the landslide and submit a full report on the incident," he told Bernama when contacted in London where he is attending the 13th International Transportation System world Congress.
The minister said although the cause of the landslide was not known yet, the main contractor of the expressway had been asked to take all measures to complete the remedial work fast.

The landslide, which occurred at about 7.10pm Monday following a downpour, resulted in the evacuation of nearly 700 people living in four blocks of low cost flats.The landslide occurred at the side of the DUKE Expressway now under construction.

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Part of hill in Wangsa Maju collapses, 700 move out

10 Oct 2006 NST Account by Alang Bendahara, Fadhal Illahi Ghani and Leslie Andres
KUALA LUMPUR: Some 700 residents of the Section 10 flats in Wangsa Maju were evacuated yesterday after a section of the hillside nearby collapsed, taking several vehicles with it. At least six cars and 12 motorcycles are believed to have crashed 10 metres onto a road below in the 7pm incident.
Most of the residents were getting ready to break fast when the alarm was raised by residents of block B5, who were nearest to the site. No one was injured, but a paralysed 50-year-old resident was sent by ambulance to a relative’s house in Taman Datuk Keramat. The victims are from four five-storey walk-up flats. The victims from blocks B3, B4, B5 and B6 are being temporarily put up in several multi-purpose halls in the area.
A section of the hillside roughly 40 metres wide, slipped some 10 metres down the hill in the incident. Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique said the 160 families were evacuated as their blocks were the nearest to the landslide, with blocks B4 and B5 especially considered at risk. He said the victims would be given temporary lodging at flat PPRT Seri Semarak in Wangsa Maju.
It is understood that there are also gas and water leaks affecting the blocks. The flats are fed by a central gas line. As at Press time, both mains had yet to be switched off. The flats are located next to the construction site of the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway.

Resident Anuar Madon, 54, saidhttp://www.jeffooi.com/2006/10/301940.php he noticed a hole in the ground where part of the hillside had slipped when he came home from work about 6pm. The clerk with the Kuala Lumpur Education Department said the hole was slightly more than a metre deep. "I lodged a report at the Wangsa Maju police station at 6.45pm and when I returned, the landslide occurred." Another resident, Nurul Nur Ariani, 22, believes the landslide was caused by a burst underground pipe.
"We noticed the leak on Wednesday and informed the building maintenance clerk. No one came to repair the leak," she said. City mayor Datuk Ruslin Hassan said, "I will ask the relevant government agencies to do a study on the soil strength and the building structure.”I will wait for the report before making any decision on whether the blocks of flats are safe or not."

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STAR Report, 600 flee flats after landslide in KL
By ZULKILFLI ABDUL RAHMAN, BEH YUEN HUI and CHOW HOW BAN
KUALA LUMPUR: Heavy rains triggered a landslide at the back of a row of low-cost flats in Section 10, Wangsa Maju, forcing about 600 residents to flee their units during breaking fast. No casualties were reported in the 7.10pm landslide that buried four cars and damaged three others, as well as several motorcycles.
The residents had to be evacuated to temporary relief centres, as the earth that slipped 50m down a slope seemed to pose a danger to the blocks.Part of the road leading to the flats collapsed.
Many of the residents rushed out while others shouted to their neighbours to get out of their flats when they saw chunks of earth sliding down the slope.

Following the landslide the authorities ordered residents in Blocks B3, B4, B5 and B6 to move out of their homes. Tour agency employee Syed Huzaimi Syed Sagap, 35, said he was visiting his father at Block B5 when he heard rumbling noises. “I was just outside my father's flat at the ground floor waiting to break fast at about 7pm. Minutes later, I heard some strange noises like something falling. I saw a storehouse sliding down the slope. I shouted at everyone to run out of their houses,” he said. Housewife Norzehan Zainal, 43, who was staying at Block B4, said she was outside her flat at the third floor watching workers building the Duta-Hulu Kelang Expressway (Duke).
“Suddenly, huge chunks of earth fell and I saw the workers running away. I also saw part of the road starting to collapse ,” she added.
Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Mat Ali Ismail said Hazmat team members were called in after reports of gas leaks.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique said that residents from 160 units of house from the affected blocks have been advised to vacate their homes and they would be temporarily housed at several multipurpose halls in and around Wangsa Maju.
He said that seven cars and a few motorcycles were damaged.
“The residents of the affected blocks have been allowed to collect important documents and belongings. The flats have been cordoned off. Zulhasnan also said tests would be carried out on the affected area by officers from the Drainage and Irrigation Department.
“We do not know the cause of the incident, whether it was triggered by underground water seepage or construction of the highway.
According to news reports Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had ordered the contractor involved in the Duke expressway project to carry out remedial work on the affected area and to submit a report on the incident to the ministry.