Weather warnings are nothing new, but this monsoon season has proved especially heavy, with Malaysia’s Meteorological Department warning as early as late September that a deluge was expected in the months to come.
On Sunday, a foreign student driving a Toyota Vios skidded off the road near Sunway Square, in the Kota Damansara neighborhood of Kuala Lumpur, and into a storm drain. Heavy rain is reported to have been the cause of the accident, with Selangor police being called at 6:51pm.
However, while waiting for tow truck assistance, the rains continued and eventually pushed the Vios down the storm drain. Luckily, it was empty at the time.
Police report that the car is registered to a Khodijah Mohd Ismail, aged 56 in Tapah, Perak. Separate social media reports state that the student was renting the car. Authorities managed to recover the car the following day.
Dangerous times ahead as the rain continues, so we’ll leave you with a handy-dandy quick guide as to what to do if you and/or your car ever suffer the unfortunate fate of getting stuck in a sudden flood:
So, you’ve found yourself in a car, in heavy rain? First thing’s first: Don’t drive through a flooded road, or bridge. Even if it seems like a few centimeters, dangerous circumstances could lurk underneath.
Too late and found yourself stuck inside a flooded car? Get out immediately, and move to higher ground. Swept away in a flooded car? Don’t panic! Wait for it to fill with water, take a deep breath, open the door an swim to the surface. Move over obstacles, not under them, and if you manage to grab hold of a tree — don’t try to swim away: Wait for rescue.
Phew.
And for those of us dealing with a car that got stuck in high waters, remember NOT to turn the engine on — you could be making the situation worse. Call a tow, and get your car out of the flood as soon as possible to minimize water damage and corrosion. Let it dry out, and check your oil for water droplets to see if it’s been contaminated. You’ll probably also want to call a mechanic about now, and try not to cry when you get that bill.
Stay safe, everyone.
