KUALA LUMPUR – The staff of the Concorde Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, especially security guards stationed in front of the hotel, promptly responded to assist those affected when a huge tree was uprooted, trapping people and cars along Jalan Sultan Ismail.
An employee at the hotel’s front desk, who asked to remain anonymous, said the security guards and members of the public were quick to act when the incident occurred.
They also helped notify the authorities about the incident and manage traffic flow along the busy road, the employee said.
The individual also said that at around 3.40pm, ambulances and police cars were sighted at the location, indicating an ongoing rescue operation.
However, he clarified that the hotel’s operations continued as usual, as the incident had no impact on the hotel premises or the vehicles parked with the valet service.
Earlier, Scoop reported that a thunderstorm had wreaked havoc along Jalan Sultan Ismail near the Concorde Hotel and Menara IMC.
Videos and photos currently circulating on social media also show a fallen tree obstructing the Kuala Lumpur Monorail track near the hotel.
In a statement earlier, the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department said 17 vehicles were damaged in the incident.
The department also said the monorail track along the road was obstructed by tree branches.
“The department received the distress call at 2.19pm and deployed a team of 27 officers from the Jalan Hang Tuah, Titiwangsa, Jalan Tun Razak and Sentul fire stations.
“The incident also resulted in damage to public facilities, specifically the bus stop located on the roadside,” it said.
Meanwhile, a staff member at the Shangri-La Hotel Kuala Lumpur front desk told Scoop that all guests and staff are safe and unaffected by the incident.
“We cannot confirm if any of our staff assisted with the incident. However, to the best of our knowledge, all our guests and staff are safe and sound.
“(However), we are still looking into the matter and updates from the authorities. We leave it to the hands of the police and firefighters.
“Our hotel operations are running smoothly, as per usual,” said the employee, who declined to be named. – May 7, 2024