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Dr Nor Shahida of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said this could not have happened overnight even though the accident site was built on easily dissolving limestone.
“We are talking about geological time scales, which could be hundreds, thousands or even a million years,” she said, adding that she disagreed with claims circulating online that Kuala Lumpur was unsafe and that a “giant sinkhole” could appear at any time.
She added: “The area is close to the confluence of a major river, so ground saturation and groundwater flow could increase erosion and cause parts of the soil to become hollow.”
The day before, several areas including the Kuala Lumpur city center were hit by flash floods due to heavy rain.
The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) said in a statement after the incident that the sinkhole is about 24 metres from the Klang River.
Still, landslides can be man-made, Dr Lim said. For example, a 10-metre-deep landslide on a road in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle area in 2014 was caused by a burst water pipe.
IEM president Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin said on Sunday that based on photos and videos taken at the scene on Jalan Masjid India, last Friday’s incident was likely related to the utility.
Dr Lim added that there had been several similar incidents in Kuala Lumpur over the past few years but they may have gone unreported because the landslides “did not engulf people or cars”.
Is Kuala Lumpur safe?
Despite repeated assurances from Kuala Lumpur Mayor Maimunah Mohamad Sharif, questions remain in many people’s minds as to whether Kuala Lumpur, a city of nearly 2 million residents, is structurally safe. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, has a population of nearly 9 million.
Experts CNA spoke to did not disagree with Dr Maimunah’s view, who said Kuala Lumpur has been under development for a long time and that claims that Kuala Lumpur is not suitable for development must be backed by strong evidence.
Dr Lim pointed out that most buildings in Kuala Lumpur adhere to certain standards.
“You can’t simply build modern structures. There are so many underground trains in the city that it’s impossible to dig tunnels without proper surveys, many of which were done by international experts.
“Accidents happen, but not only in Malaysia,” he said.
Dr Maimunah said on Sunday that a task force comprising the Minerals and Geosciences Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Royal Malaysia Police and the Public Works Department had been set up to look into development security issues in the capital.
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