The force of water gushing from the burst water tank pushed part of the wall out, which came crashing down on apartment units of Cheras Utama apartments, Block 2.
After a water tank atop a Cheras Utama apartment block broke on May 2, causing water and rubble to cascade down and damage the units below, the apartment's joint management body (JMB) said it did not have the funds to replace the damaged tank.
And neither could it afford to replace the tanks in the other two blocks, which may also be in danger of giving way.
The JMB's representative Naim Ishak said they only collected RM75 a month from each resident, with the money collected going towards maintenance and security.
“We discussed the issue with Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ), whose representatives came for a site visit with the Selangor Exco Datuk Iskandar Abdul Samad in the afternoon.
“The water tanks are already at a critical stage and in need of replacement, so we have asked for an allocation of funds from the Selangor Housing and Property Board.
“We were informed that they are assisting us with 60% of the necessary replacement costs, and our JMB is expected to pay the other 40% in instalments," Naim said.
He added that the residents were placing their hopes on help from the state government as they just did not have the means.
Although there were no casualties in yesterday's incident, residents are now fearful of another water tank giving way at the other blocks after large pieces of rubble fell on units below the tank as well as on the children’s playground nearby following the collapse of the water tank.
“The water tank has been around for more than 11 years and had been repaired more than five times already,” said resident Khairul Nizam Ismail, 44.
“It was undergoing minor repairs, with a major repair scheduled for today (May 3), but it burst before that because of a small crack, which became bigger due to the water pressure," said Khairul, who was helping to erect a temporary wall using plywood and canvas for his neighbour Mohd Adzmi Othman, 48, whose apartement unit on the 12th storey bore the brunt of the damage.
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