Puduraya is not leaking

Puduraya is not leaking (The Star)

Thursday May 12, 2011

By Bavani M
Photos by P. Nathan

PUDURAYA Terminal operator UDA Mall Sdn Bhd said the flooding incident on Monday was an “unfortunate” and “isolated” incident which occurred when contractors were testing the fire sprinkler system on the mezzanine floor where the ticketing counters were located.

Its senior manager (terminal) Ismail Hassan said maintenace work was being carried out to see if the sprinklers were in working condition.

“This is what happens if you were to remove the sprinkler head; water will come gushing out. Puduraya is not leaking,’’ Ismail stressed.

That’s the one: Ticketing counter employee Azhari Din, 42 pointing to the water sprinkler that leaked on Monday

“It is unfortunate that the footage was posted on Facebook.

“It is normal for water to gush out of the sprinkler when the head is removed,’’ he said, adding that it took his men about 10 to 15 minutes to clear the affected area.

The 33-second footage recorded by a passenger on Monday evening was posted on Facebook.

It showed two sprinkler system with water gushing out.

Two garbage bins were used to contain the water.

The footage posted in the social networking site Facebook and Twitter sparked a myriad of reactions ranging from amusement to anger and sarcasm.

An eyewitness to the incident Norhaslinda Daliyana, 26, who manages the SKS KL counter said the 9pm incident took everyone by surprise.

The ‘culprit’: A close-up shot of the water sprinkler that sprung a leak on Monday.

“There was a loud noice and suddenly water came gushing out of the sprinklers,’’ she said.

“Within seconds the carpet was soaking wet. The contractors tried to contain it, but there was a lot of water,’’ she said.

Mohd Shafie who works with Durian Burung ticketing counter had recorded the incident on his mobile phone.

“It happened so fast, but they managed to fix the problem quickly,’’ said the 22-year-old.

When StarMetro visited the terminal at 10am yesterday, there was no evidence of the leak and business was back to normal.

Ready for business: The terminal is now fully operational.

The 36-year-old terminal was opened on April 16 after undergoing massive renovations costing RM52.7mil.

The opening was delayed several times due to additional work on the base of the building.

It is now fully operational, with only minor glitches here and there.

A check by StarMetro also showed that the lifts are not yet accessible to the public.