A minor ground collapse in Masjid India yesterday morning sparked public concern, especially after last year’s deadly sinkhole tragedy in the same area.
But Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif has stepped in to calm fears.
She said the 8.39am incident on Jalan Bunus was only a case of ground settlement and not a sinkhole.
No burst pipes and no underground leaks found
Reported by The Star, Maimunah said early checks at the site showed no signs of burst pipes or leaking underground infrastructure.
“When I went to the site at 2pm, we opened up the tiles around the area to see if there were any leaking pipes, and thankfully there were none. It also rained this morning and we wanted to check if there was loose soil,” she said.
She added that the situation is stable and there is no cause for alarm.
We still need to find out the cause of the ground settlement. But there is no need to panic. It is not a sinkhole.”
DBKL appoints geotechnical consultant to monitor the area
According to Maimunah, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has already appointed a geotechnical consultant to monitor the site moving forward.
The latest incident occurred slightly more than two weeks after authorities revealed the true cause of last year’s Masjid India sinkhole, renewing questions about the stability of older underground systems in KL’s city centre.
Multiple agencies called to investigate
Teams from DBKL, the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department, Air Selangor, Indah Water Konsortium and Dang Wangi police were dispatched to the scene to conduct investigations.
For safety reasons, Jalan Masjid India was temporarily closed to all vehicles from Lorong Masjid India 4 to the affected stretch.
By 6pm, contractors had repaired the sunken section and the road was reopened to traffic.
Monitoring and technical assessments are still ongoing. Authorities will issue further updates when available.
Last year’s sinkhole caused by corroded sewer pipe, not limestone
On 24 October, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa told Parliament that a special task force found last year’s incident was caused by a corroded sewer pipe structure and unstable soil conditions.
This debunked early fears that limestone caves beneath the area were to blame.
She said the task force submitted its full findings to the Cabinet in August and DBKL is preparing a public report expected by the end of the year.
Wider checks underway in KL
Following rising public concern, DBKL has started conducting geotechnical studies along several key routes in the Golden Triangle to map soil profiles and stability. Early results show no locations currently classified as high risk.
Last year’s tragedy claimed the life of 48 year old Indian tourist G. Vijayalakshmi, who fell into an eight metre deep sinkhole that suddenly opened beneath her.
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