Sewer pipe structure failure caused Jalan Masjid India sinkhole, Dewan Rakyat hears

• Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said investigations by a special task force led by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) found that the incident was not caused by the presence of a limestone layer beneath the ground, as initially feared by the public.

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 23): The failure of a sewer pipe structure, corroded by chemical reactions and affected by soil instability, has been identified as the main 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 (pictured) said investigations by a special task force led by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) found that the incident was not caused by the presence of a limestone layer beneath the ground, as initially feared by the public.

“The site of the incident lies on the Kenny Hills Formation and is underlain by schist rock, while the limestone layer is only found at depths of between 60 and 70 metres. Therefore, the incident cannot be directly attributed to limestone.

“The task force concluded that the failure of the sewer pipe structure, which had corroded due to chemical reactions and soil instability, was among the main factors that led to the formation of a cavity beneath the pedestrian walkway, ultimately causing the sinkhole,” she said when replying to a question from Datuk Yusuf Abd Wahab (Gabungan Parti Sarawak-Tanjong Manis) in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.

Indian tourist G Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, went missing after falling into an eight-metre-deep sinkhole that opened up at her feet on the morning of Aug 23 last year.

Zaliha said the full investigation report had been presented to the Cabinet on Aug 20, while a special public report will be released by the DBKL by year end.

She said the DBKL is currently conducting geotechnical studies on major roads within Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle area to determine soil profiles and stability using methods such as borehole resistivity, the ground penetrating radar, light detection and ranging, and interferometric synthetic aperture radar.

“Preliminary findings indicate that no areas have been identified as high-risk for sinkhole occurrence. This study is important to ensure the safety of infrastructure within the city centre and the zone hosting the Asean Summit 2025,” she said.

She added that the government had now established a more capable emergency response team to ensure swift and effective action should a similar incident occur in the future.

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