Kuala lumpur: The failure of a sewer pipe structure, corroded by chemical reactions and impacted by soil instability, has been identified as the primary cause of the sinkhole incident at Jalan Masjid India in August last year. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa announced the findings in response to inquiries in the Dewan Rakyat.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, a special task force led by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) concluded that the incident was not due to the presence of a limestone layer beneath the ground, as initially feared. Dr Zaliha clarified that the site is situated on the Kenny Hills Formation, underlain by schist rock, with the limestone layer located at depths of 60 to 70 meters, thus ruling it out as a direct cause.
The task force determined that the sewer pipe structure had corroded because of chemical reactions and soil instability, leading to a cavity beneath the pedestrian walkway and the subsequent sinkhole. This explanation was provided by Dr Zaliha in response to a query from Datuk Yusuf Abd Wahab (GPS-Tanjong Manis).
The incident gained attention when Indian tourist G. Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, went missing after falling into the eight-meter-deep sinkhole that appeared on August 23. Dr Zaliha mentioned that the full investigation report was presented to the Cabinet on August 20, and a public report by DBKL is anticipated by the end of the year.
DBKL is conducting geotechnical studies on major roads within Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle to assess soil profiles and stability using advanced methods like borehole resistivity, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). Preliminary results suggest no high-risk areas for sinkhole occurrences, which is crucial for ensuring the safety of infrastructure in the city center, especially ahead of the ASEAN Summit 2025.
Furthermore, Dr Zaliha noted that the government has established a more capable emergency response team to ensure swift and effective action in the event of similar incidents in the future.