Landslide victim says she thought it was just construction noise

 

The house in Pantai Hill, Bangsar, that was affected by a landslide today. Firemen said the cause might be a leak from a swimming pool at another house further up. (JBPM pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: A woman living in a 10-room house in Pantai Hill, Bangsar, thought that the loud noise and tremors she experienced were due to construction work at a nearby house, and not the signs of a landslide.

The woman, Norlie Ismail, 42, said she heard and felt the loud noises and tremors several times at about 10am while she was asleep in her room.

“At first, I heard two loud bangs, but I didn’t get up immediately because I thought it was construction work in the house on the upper slope. However, the third bang was so loud that it shook the house, causing me to wake up immediately and grab my mobile phone before running out of the house,” she said.

“I was in a state of panic and fear at that time because I saw soil and water entering the kitchen and storeroom, causing damage to everything in that area, including electrical appliances.

“I then took important documents and seven cats outside with the assistance of the firefighters and made a report at the police station,” she said.

Norlie, the sole occupant of the house, said several other occupants had moved out several months ago. “I have been renting this house for four years and plan to move next month. After this incident, I asked the new landlord to let me move earlier as I was informed that this house is no longer safe to live in,” she added.

She is now staying with a friend, while her seven cats are at a cat hotel.

A leak from a swimming pool at a house up a slope is believed to have caused the landslide, according to the fire and rescue department. It said earlier that the structure of the house was not affected. - FMT