By: Aida Aziz
IPOH: Several locations in Ipoh city were hit by a storm and strong winds last Friday afternoon, resulting in numerous fallen trees.
It is also understood that several houses were damaged after their roofs were blown off by strong winds.
Among the affected areas were the city centre, Bercham, Taman Perpaduan and Ulu Kinta.
Ipoh City Council (MBI) said several departments under the council had taken immediate and coordinated action to manage the situation and carry out clean-up operations.
“The incident caused many trees and branches to fall, obstructing access routes and posing safety risks to the public.
“The Parks and Landscape Department, Public Works Department, and Public Health and Urban Services Department were mobilised to carry out clean-up works and remove fallen trees.
“The operation involved the use of assets and machinery such as skylifts, open lorries, RORO bins, bulldozers and excavators to expedite the removal of fallen trees and pruning waste at affected locations.
“The Enforcement and Safety Department also took early action by closing off affected areas using safety tape and cones as a precautionary measure and to inform the public.
“Information and coordinates of locations with fallen trees were also channelled to the relevant departments to ensure that clean-up actions could be carried out in an organised manner,” it said.
Meanwhile, the operation also received cooperation from the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, the Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and volunteer fire brigades around Ipoh.
The clean-up works focused on reopening main routes blocked by fallen trees to ensure smooth traffic flow.
Follow-up works to collect and clear tree debris at various locations across the city are ongoing and are expected to take two days to complete.
