KUALA LUMPUR: A two-hour-long downpour triggered flash floods in Kampung Melayu Subang, with the Jalan Jati Bridge spanning Sungai Damansara closed due to erosion along the riverbank.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department Operations Division Assistant Director Ashrul Riezal Asbar said the flash floods were caused by the overflow of the drainage system, and not by the phenomenon of unusually high tides.
“Heavy rain this evening caused the drainage system to be overwhelmed by the volume of water, but water levels in the affected areas are now reported to be receding,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Selangor Public Works Department, in a separate statement, said the Jalan Jati Bridge in Section U6, Kampung Melayu Subang, had been closed to all vehicles for safety reasons following severe erosion of the bridge abutment structure.
The department said the erosion and embankment collapse occurred following a rise in water levels and strong currents in Sungai Damansara due to continuous heavy rain.
“A Traffic Management Plan has been implemented to regulate vehicle movement, and road users are advised to use the alternative route via Lorong Cempaka and comply with the diversion signs at the location,” the department said.
The department would also carry out temporary repair works in the affected area, subject to site safety conditions and the availability of materials from quarries, as the work would take place during a public holiday period.
For the long term, the department said an allocation would be sought to carry out permanent repairs to the bridge abutment structure and reinforce the banks of Sungai Damansara to ensure the stability of the bridge.