The basement of Dataran Merdeka resembles a huge swimming pool. At 5pm today, the underground carpark and mall known as Plaza Putra were under two metres of water at one end and about three metres at the other.

All this, the result of yesterday's two-hour deluge from 4pm, which wreaked havoc in and around Kuala Lumpur.

The independent contractor that KL City Hall has appointed to drain the water estimates that the team of workers will probably need another eight hours to complete the work.

"We are still testing the equipment," said Zahikah Power Systems contractor Musa Mohamed.

The workers are using 25cm-pumps for the job, in place of smaller pumps that City Hall had had deployed in a joint effort with the Fire and Rescue Services Department since 2am.

Musa said that exercise had managed to drain less than one metre of water.

He said the flood was particularly damaging, as shown by the amount of water still trapped in the basement.

"This is a bad one, a very bad one," said the contractor shaking his head. "We are going to be here for a while...you'd better pray that it doesn't rain again tonight!"

The team will rely on two 150kw generators to work through the night. The generators can run for about 10 hours.

Users affected

Among those anxiously waiting for the operations to end are a number of car owners who had parked their vehicles at Plaza Putra yesterday. They were unable to retrieve their vehicles because the flood waters rose quickly.

The banks of the adjacent Gombak and Klang rivers burst around around 6pm. It took less than 30 minutes for Plaza Putra to fill with water.

Car-owners mingled with bystanders this evening to watch workers position the pumps and water tubes just outside the entrance to the underground car park.

Apart from shop tenants and two cinemas in the underground complex, the flood waters have put the Actor's Studio theatre and academy out of commission temporarily.

Executive producer Faridah Merican expressed frustration this morning over the slow process of drying out the complex.

"The question you are posing to me should instead be made to the Datuk Bandar - why is it taking so long to actually remove the water? The rains had already stopped by 9pm yesterday," she said.

Asked for an estimate of the damage, she said it was not possible to provide one until the water is drained and the premises can be inspected.

She added that the theatre group's immediate focus is to find alternative sites for classes and practice sessions.