KUALA LUMPUR: 100 victims of the 2013 Cameron Highlands, Pahang mud flood today sued Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) over negligence for allegedly causing the disaster two years ago.
The residents affected by the flood have gathered at the Duta Courts Complex here and filed the multi-million negligence lawsuit against the electricity producer for opening the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam (SABD) spillway gates thrice in the early hours of Oct 23, 2013 causing the flash flood.
Counsel M. Manogaran, representing the victims claimed that TNB failed to give effective warnings in time for the plaintiffs to move their belongings to a safer place from the said flood.
On Oct 22, 2013, the rain fell continuously in the Bertam Valley, Ringlet, and the surrounding areas, causing immense amount of water to be collected in the Ringlet reservoir as well as SABD.
On Oct 23, the next day, the defendant had released a substantial amount of water at 12.20am into the Bertam River without warning.
A second torrent of water was released about an hour later and had caused flood to the area.
While the residents were grappling with the unexpected tragedy, the defendant then released a third torrent of water into the river at about2.45am, causing a large area of the Bertam Valley to be inundated with flood water.
There was a large scale of destruction to the properties, assets and had claimed the lives of four people.
TNB president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azman Mohd had in a statement on Oct 28, 2013 explained that there were unusual intense downpours on Oct 22 and Oct 23 which had brought to rapid increase of the Ringlet Lake water level within a short period.
He said it had brought huge volumes of water to the lake, together with solid wastes, debris and siltation from what was described as massive land clearing and farming activities.
The rubbish had clogged up the Bertam Water Intake, an outlet where water from the reservoir normally flows before entering the Bertam tunnel to underground power generation units.
Four people were confirmed dead, following a flash flood when Sungai Bertam overflowed following the release of water from the SABD Ringlet, Cameron Highlands on Oct 23.
The incident had destroyed about 80 houses and several cars in the Bertam Valley settlement areas.