August 29, 2024
KUALA LUMPUR – A second sinkhole has appeared in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Masjid India – just 50m from where the ground opened up on Aug 23 and swallowed an Indian tourist – heightening fears about the safety of the popular area.
The new collapse reportedly occurred at around 2.30am on Aug 28, following a storm the previous night.
On Aug 28, the entire street was cordoned off to all vehicles and the public, compared with the previous day, when the police had cordoned off only a stretch of roughly 500m around the original sinkhole.
An officer from the Mineral and Geoscience Department was seen scanning the street with ground-penetrating radar.
He was seen pausing at a location between the original sinkhole and the new one for a few minutes before stomping on the ground and jumping up and down, as if to test the integrity of the cobbled pavement.
Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain arrived at the location at around 11.20am and inspected the new sinkhole before being briefed at the police operational tent.
He did not speak to the media.
In a press statement, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said it had blocked access to the road using police lines and water barriers.
“We have taken quick action, together with Indah Water Konsortium (IWK, the waste management company serving Kuala Lumpur), to inspect the sewerage pipe at the location and its surrounding areas,” said the statement.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Maimunah Mohd Sharif gave assurances that the authorities will continue to take follow-up action with IWK and other agencies to prevent more sinkholes from forming.
At a press conference later in the day, Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof gave assurances that Jalan Masjid India is still safe for the public, as long as they listen to the authorities and do not cross police lines.
He added that the government will conduct an integrity audit to determine the reason behind the sinkholes appearing in Jalan Masjid India, as soon as the authorities find the missing tourist.
“For now, it (Jalan Masjid India) is safe. We must conduct an integrity audit because there have been new developments (around the area). We need to find out the source (of the sinkholes). The public should be safe as long as they follow City Hall’s instructions,” said Datuk Seri Fadillah.
The agencies involved will be the Public Works Department, DBKL, the Fire and Rescue Department and IWK. Technical experts, geoscientists and geologists, among others, will be roped in to assist in the investigation.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Professor Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin, president of the Institution of Engineers, Malaysia, said the close proximity of the first and second sinkholes hints at a link between the two.
“There could be a service pipe that has been compromised running underground. If it has been compromised, this would affect the soil’s integrity, and the water seepage would erode the soil,” he said.
He added that DBKL should do extensive mapping of the soil condition in the area and identify other potential hot spots. He also lauded the authorities for cordoning off the entire area for public safety.
He cautioned people to be aware of telltale signs of potential sinkholes, such as uneven ground, cracks in buildings, water pooling in one location and tilted fences.
Given that the two sinkholes might be linked, Prof Chiang did not dismiss the possibility that more sinkholes could appear between the first and second one, or that the entire stretch could collapse, creating one giant sinkhole.
A staff member of the Palace Hotel in Jalan Masjid India, who wanted to be known only as Jamal, told ST he was not worried about falling into any sinkholes on the road.
However, the same could not be said of guests, with the hotel seeing 20 per cent of bookings cancelled since the incident.
“It’s not the first time this has happened. There was a sinkhole a few months ago, there was another one last month, and then the sinkhole that took the tourist, and now this one. I am just cautious when I walk around, and I avoid pavements that are sunken,” said Mr Jamal.
“As for the hotel, I’m confident of its foundation since the building has been around for four decades.”
On Aug 23, Ms Vijayalaksmi, a 48-year-old Indian tourist from Kuppam, Andhra Pradesh, was walking along Jalan Masjid India when the ground suddenly caved in beneath her. She plummeted 8m into the hole and disappeared.
Efforts to locate her have so far been futile.
Search and rescue operations were called off on Aug 27 owing to heavy rain. But on Aug 28, operations to locate Ms Vijayalaksmi were back in full swing, with the police, Fire and Rescue Department, DBKL and Civil Defence Force personnel at the scene.