Pipe leak cuts power to 500 Kota Baru flat residents for five straight days

KOTA BARU: About 500 residents in more than 90 units at the Kota Baru People's Housing Programme (PPR) have been without electricity for five days.

Residents claimed the outage, which affected levels 11 to 15 of the PPR, was caused by a short circuit following a leaking pipe at a residential unit, with water seeping into the main electrical switch room at the block.

Resident Mah Roni Che Kob, 58, said the electricity supply was disrupted about 3am on Sept 27, forcing residents in several blocks to endure darkness and hot conditions, with some having to open their windows and use candles.

"We are even worried about using candles as there could be a fire, especially with babies and residents who may have health problems and need to rely on oxygen machines.

"The outage has also affected the income of some residents who run online businesses and those who make and sell kuih," she said when met here today.

Mah Roni said the Kota Bharu PPR management and building management agent had informed residents that repair work would take time to ensure the electrical components were completely dry and to prevent safety and fire risks.

She said physical inspections had also been carried out, while maintenance contractors and Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) had been called in to address the source of the leak.

"However, residents are still wondering what is happening because the management has not provided clear information, while it is taking a long time to resolve the electricity supply problem.

"We urge the management and relevant agencies to take immediate action to resolve the problem as our daily lives have been disrupted for five days," she said.

Meanwhile, another resident, Nurul Atiqah Che Awang, 35, said residents initially thought the outage was caused by a tripped switch before discovering that the PPR's main electrical room had been damaged.

"I thought the electricity problem would only take two or three hours to resolve, but I did not expect it to last five days. The situation is particularly difficult for those with school-going children," she said.

She said that since the power outage, she and her 12-year-old child had been travelling back and forth to a relative's house in Kubang Kerian, describing the situation as being like refugees as they had to rely on other people's homes.

"We are not getting enough sleep at night and our daily routines have also been disrupted. At the same time, I have suffered losses because I cannot run my business as items such as chicken, vegetables and ice cream have spoiled because they could not be kept in the refrigerator.

"I appeal to the management to take immediate action and be more responsive to the difficulties faced by residents," she said.