KUALA LUMPUR: A heavy downpour left thousands stranded in flash floods around the city yesterday, with many unable to visit Ramadan bazaars for their buka puasa meals.

       Traffic at major roads came to a standstill after the downpour that started at around 3pm.

       Among the areas hit were Jalan Semantan, Jalan Parlimen, Jalan Kuching, Jalan Travers, Jalan Ampang and Menara DBKL 1 in Jalan Raja Laut.

       Also inundated were Jalan Segambut, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Maharajalela, Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim and Jalan Pudu.

       Yazid Mohammad, 28, who was planning to visit a Ramadan bazaar, said he cancelled the trip and chose to break his fast at work instead.

       “I saw news about the flood situation getting worse just as I was preparing to leave the office.

       “I was worried since my workplace is near the affected areas. I decided to buy food from a nearby restaurant instead,” he told The Star.

       Anis Khalid, who was heading into the city centre, took a detour towards KL Sentral to wait until the floodwaters receded.

       “Luckily, I was using Waze to navigate, and I received a warning about the flood situation,” she added.

       Ampang resident Hafiz Hamzah, 36, was upset that Kuala Lumpur was inundated again, just a month after another incident in early March.

       “The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) must come up with proper solutions to ensure this does not recur,” he said.

       DBKL, in a statement on Facebook, said its enforcement officers were sent to the affected roads to regulate traffic. It added that floodwaters in many areas receded at around 5.30pm.

       Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department sent 42 officers from seven fire stations to several locations hit by floods.

       According to a statement, the fire and rescue team had rescued a woman from her car that was trapped in floodwaters along Jalan Segambut Dalam.

       “There were no other victims at other locations affected by the flash floods except for several vehicles that were left stranded in the floodwaters. The water receded after 30 minutes and light vehicles could use the roads again,” the statement said.

       Meanwhile, the Petaling Jaya City Council said it received one complaint about flooding in Persiaran Surian near the Palm Spring Condominium.

       However, the water receded quickly.