KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — The Education Ministry has given its assurance that repairs will be carried out immediately on the 36 schools in the Klang Valley that were damaged during last Friday’s thunderstorm.

The Federal Territory and Selangor Education Department along with Education District Offices will carry out further assessment of the damage with assistance from the Public Works Department (JKR), the ministry said.

The ministry also said there were 27 affected schools in Kuala Lumpur and nine in Selangor.

"The Public Works Department will then submit an accompanying evaluation report that details the cost estimation to the Education Ministry.

"The distribution of maintenance provisions for the purpose of repairing the damage will be channelled immediately to the Education Department in both the Federal Territories and Selangor,” the Education Ministry said in a statement today.

Yesterday, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi advised teachers and students to avoid entering the affected premises until they are deemed safe.

Last Friday, national news agency Bernama reported the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia as saying that the heavy storm had caused 18 vehicles to be damaged by toppled trees, but that no fatalities had occurred from these incidents.

The locations where the trees had fallen were on Jalan Kampung Attap, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Taman Bukit Angkasa, Pejabat Kesihatan Kepong, Jalan Ayer Jernih, Flat Wangsa Maju, Bayu Mont Kiara, Bukit Kiara, Jalan Kelantan, Bukit Persekutuan, Jalan Ampang near Muzium Istana, Jalan Istana and the Sentul district police headquarters.