‘Waterfall’ in KL airport after heavy downpour; probe into cause of leak under way

Travellers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 were greeted by the sight of water pouring down from a ceiling panel on Nov 14 following heavy rainfall.

Videos posted on social media platform X show water gushing out from a ceiling structure near a Qatar Airways check-in counter. The affected area is seen cordoned off.

The airport operator Malaysia Airports said in a statement that the incident occurred at about 4.15pm following “exceptionally heavy rainfall in the area”.

“Containment, clean-up and restoration works were carried out promptly and continued more vigorously once weather conditions eased,” it added.

Water in the affected sections was cleared within 1½ hours, said Malaysia Airports.

It added that check-in counters K and L were reopened after critical systems in the area were assessed and deemed safe for use.

Core airport functions, including passenger processing, terminal movement and key systems such as the aerotrain and baggage handling system, were not affected, said the operator.

“Technical checks are still ongoing and some support functions remain under close monitoring,” it added.

The cause of the leak is being assessed, said Malaysia Airports.

This is not the first time the airport has faced operational challenges.

The aerotrain service at the airport has broken down multiple times, most recently on Oct 28.

Deputy Transport Minister Hasbi Habibollah had earlier told Parliament that the

aerotrain system experienced 19 disruptions

between July 2 and Sept 30.

There was also a power outage at the airport’s Terminal 2 on Aug 2 due to a circulating current within underground cables.