KUALA LUMPUR – Residents of a newly built high-rise building here are having a harrowing New Year with many ushering in 2024 in darkness, with several people even trapped in elevators and in their upper-storey units.
A massive power failure at Razak City Residences in Sg Besi here has resulted in a complex-wide blackout and elevators shutting down.
Several people were trapped in the elevators for about 30 minutes before being rescued by personnel from the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department’s Sg Besi station.
However in a message to residents, a department spokesman advised against using the elevators until further notice.
This means those living in the upper floors of the four 48-storey towers are essentially trapped in their apartment units with a long flight of stairs their only way down.
It is believed thousands of people are affected as the entire complex has 1,700 apartment units as well as commercial units on the lower floors. The complex has 5,748 units in total housed in 12 towers.
Unit buyers had started moving in about three months ago.
The power went out at about 11.25pm when residents were getting ready to welcome the new year. The upper floors have an almost uninhibited view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline and the fireworks, which were set off at the stroke of midnight.
It is understood that Tenaga Nasional is addressing the problem.
According to one resident, Dr M. Salem, who lives on the upper 40th floor, this is the first blackout he has experienced since moving in two months ago.
“No one from the management has been responding but we have a very proactive residents’ committee which contacted the Fire Department and TNB.
“This is unbecoming of a development where each unit is going for in excess of RM500,000,” he said.
Dr Salem added that while the emergency lights have come on, each unit should also have one installed.
“At least all units have balconies so that helps address ventilation issues,” he added.
This is a developing story. – January 1, 2024