Deepavali celebrated despite evacuation

BUKIT BERUNTUNG: Despite not being able to celebrate Deepavali at home, the victims of the Teratai apartment landslide made the best of the situation.
Of the 219 families living in Block K and L, 10 are Hindus.
Administration staff S. Rajaswary, 55, said she got a shock of her life when she was told by the fire and rescue department to vacate her house on Monday night.
"It was very sad as we had prepared everything, including new clothes and curtains, for Deepavali," she said, adding that it all happened very suddenly.
She said there were fire and rescue department, civil defence and ambulance personnel around the apartments while she and her parents and 20-year-old daughter vacated their units, along with the other families in the middle of the night.
Rajaswary, despite being sad and unable to celebrate with her family in her house for the first time, gave thanks that she and the others were given temporary shelter at three schools nearby.
"At least we can celebrate with the other families on Deepavali. This is very muhibah," she told reporters when met at SK Taman Bunga Raya 2 here today.
Victims of the incident were given a Deepavali lunch at the temporary shelter and were visited by Selangor Mentri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali today afternoon, who assured them that the authorities are doing their best to resolve the problem so that they may return to their homes as soon as possible.