KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Dec 2008: Is a second landslide set to wreak another round of devastation at Taman Bukit Mewah, Bukit Antarabangsa near Hulu Kelang?
The Public Works Department (PWD) and Public Works Institute (Ikram) have not ruled out such a probability.
This follows initial investigations which revealed the soil condition of the landslide area to be ‘weak’.
A senior geologist said today that a series of tests conducted by the Geo-Technical Forensics Unit at Taman Bukit Mewah found the soil to be weak and unstable.
Thus, he said, there were strong indications that another landslide might occur.
The geologist, who declined to be identified, said the unit used the Real Time Data Sensor device to mark movements in the soil, from time to time.
“Since Saturday, the readings have been uncertain. The unit, nevertheless, has been carrying out tests in a few sectors to collect the relevant data to obtain a clearer picture.
“The unit found the composition of the earth to be a mixture of soil and water which could make the earth softer.
“We want to prevent another landslide and hope that the weather will be on our side,” he said, adding that there was nothing strong to grip the earth from sliding.
The geologist said PWD’s investigation unit was taking into account, the existence of several units of abandoned partially-built bungalows.
He said PWD was trying to get details of the abandoned units from the developer.
“We are trying to figure out whether the pilings conducted at the said area could have triggered the earth movement,” he said, noting that heavy rain could further aggravate the condition in the area.
Bernama understands that PWD and Ikram need at least another 12 days to come up with a final report on studies of the landslide area.
The 6 Dec landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa left four people killed, one unaccounted for, 17 injured and 14 bungalows buried.
This afternoon, search and rescue operations were called off due to unstable soil conditions. — Bernama
