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A family of five in Ipoh, Malaysia, witnessed the perimeter wall of their new home collapsing during a landslide that took place just before dawn on May 15.

The family had moved in only two days ago.

Thunderstorm during wee hours

37-year-old Dina Liz Ismail told The Star that it was a scary moment for the family as it was "totally unexpected".

The house first experienced a blackout at around 5am during a thunderstorm.

"We could see muddy water flowing on the road in front of our house and down the slope," said Ismail.

"At about 6am, the perimeter wall started to crack and then collapsed along with part of the slope," she said.

The house narrowly avoided the landslide.

Structure of the house found to be stable

The Fire and Rescue Department received a call at about 7am, and inspected the area to ensure that no one was hurt.

The department advised the family and two other residents who lived near the landslide to temporarily vacate their homes.

The developer checked the structure of the house, and determined that it was still stable.

The family was put up at a nearby homestay for two weeks while repairs took place.

Flash floods not uncommon

Noah Wong, a resident in the area for almost a decade, told The Star that the road outside the houses often floods when there is heavy rain.

"It's just a matter of time before the water enters our houses," said Wong, adding that the issue has only gotten worse over the past year.

Member of Parliament for Ipoh Timur Wong Kah Woh said the pre-dawn downpour caused several areas in his constituency to flood.

In addition to more than 50 houses being affected, he found that areas that have never been flooded are becoming inundated as well.

"The state government needs to have a plan to handle climate change, as we are now seeing its impact," he said.

Landslides in the area

Former Ipoh city councillor Kok Pak Foo pointed out that two landslides have occurred along the road in the area.

Kok believes the issue is caused by an overwhelmed drainage system, and noted that many new houses are being built in the neighbourhood.

Chairman of residents' association Datuk Zul Zukree Zakaria thinks that the landslide was caused by a nearby development project, which has led to numerous flash floods in the past two years.

Signatures have been collected from 106 residents in an appeal to the mayor to look into this issue.

Gopeng Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) vice-chairman Cally Ting said she would be meeting with relevant parties such as the project developer and the mayor to find a solution to the constant flash floods.

Top images by The Star.