In a freak accident, a tree has fallen along Jalan Sultan Ismail in front of Concorde Hotel following a downpour, with several vehicles seen trapped under it.
Posts on social media on Tuesday (May 7) also show that the fallen tree has affected the KL Monorail track. Rapid KL confirmed the incident and said, in a Facebook post, that there would be delays on the line due to fallen trees between the Bukit Nanas and Raja Chulan stations.
A few people were also seen helping those trapped in the vehicles get out.
In a recent development, it was reported that one person died after the gisnt tree came crashing down in downtown Kuala Lumpur, trapping several cars and damaging a bus stop.
The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue department said its personnel rescued two victims who were trapped by the fallen tree but one of them was pronounced dead by paramedics.
The deceased was 47 while the other victim, a 26-year-old man, was taken to hospital by paramedics.
Assistant operations director Fatta Amin was quoted saying said 17 vehicles were affected. He said they were alerted to the incident at about 2.19pm, with personnel from four fire stations deployed as first responders.
The tree’s fallen branches also affected the Kuala Lumpur monorail line.
Rapid KL said all Kuala Lumpur monorail services between the Hang Tuah and Medan Tuanku stations have been suspended as the branches had fallen on the line’s tracks.
It advised affected commuters to make use of the LRT and MRT lines to get to their destinations. “We apologise for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patience.”
Based on several viral videos, the tree crushed close to 20 vehicles, causing severe damage. At the time of the incident, the vehicles affected were travelling from Kampung Baru towards Bukit Bintang.
The incident also caused a monorail passing through the track above the affected road to be disrupted.According to Astro Radio Traffic, the stretch along Jalan Sultan Ismail in both directions has now been closed to traffic until rescue and clearing work is completed. The KL Monorail has also been disrupted, with the service between Hang Tuah and Medan Tunku stations not operational until further notice.
In an update RapidKL said Monorail services between KL Sentral and Medan Tuanku had been suspended.
However, it said shuttle services would be provided via bus between KL Sentral and Medan Tuanku and a shuttle train between Medan Tuanku and Titiwangsa (Platform 1).
It was later learnt that a 72-year-old Swedish woman has been identified as the second person injured when a large tree came crashing onto 17 vehicles along Jalan Sultan Ismail in downtown Kuala Lumpur today.
Dang Wangi deputy police chief Nazron Abd Yusof said the Swedish woman was an e-hailing passenger while the 26-year-old who had also suffered injuries was the e-hailing driver.
Earlier reports had said a 47-year-old man died in the incident while a 26-year-old was treated by Health Ministry paramedics after suffering injuries.
“The 26-year-old was the e-hailing driver and the Swedish woman is the passenger,” said Nazron when met at the location, here today.
Nazron said both the injured were taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) for treatment while the body of the man who died in the incident was sent to HKL’s forensic medicine department for post-mortem.
He added that police were also trying to locate the deceased’s next-of-kin.
Nazron said clearance work was being carried out by the Fire and Rescue Department, Civil Defence, Kuala Lumpur City Hall and police.
“The roads that were closed after the incident will be reopened once the cleaning is completed. Motorists and members of the public are advised to use alternative routes to reach their destinations,” he said.
A 47-year-old was confirmed dead while a 26-year-old man suffered serious injuries when a huge tree came crashing down on 17 vehicles along Jalan Sultan Ismail, just outside the Concorde Hotel, during a thunderstorm and heavy rain, at about 2.19pm today.
Apart from damaging vehicles passing by the busy segment of downtown Kuala Lumpur, the fallen tree also damaged a bus stop and temporarily disrupted the monorail service as debris and branches of the fallen tree had damaged the rail track.
