SINKHOLE SWALLOWS ROAD
Retaining wall in Tanjung Bungah collapses before road caves in
ALANDSLIDE and sinkhole caused the whole of a two-lane road, in front of a row of newlybuilt luxury houses on a hillside in Tanjung Bungah, to collapse early yesterday.
It happened about 2.30am during heavy rain.
The centre of the retaining wall in front of the row of houses started to collapse before the whole road caved in.
The newly-built 20 units of three-storey houses were unoccupied.
The units were going for between RM1.6 million and RM2.3 million each.
Construction workers later cordoned off the area and covered the collapsed road using canvas.
A resident of a condominium nearby, who would only identify himself as Ng, said he learnt of the incident when he woke up at 7.30am.
“This is worrying. I thought this area was safe to live in, but I am not sure now.
“Thankfully, no one was staying there, otherwise this would have been a tragedy.”
Checks at the state’s One Stop Centre portal showed that the then Penang Island Municipal Council had approved the project on July 22, 2011.
Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu said the incident occurred at a newly-completed housing area built on a hillslope.
“The hill is a water-catchment area. Due to rain, underground water had caused the soil to become friable and unable to support the retaining wall.
“The mud from the landslide hit the basement parking area of a condominium next to it.”
He urged the authorities to explain why the housing project was approved.
“The council must explain. Luckily no one was injured.”
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Mayor Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the developer had yet to get a Certificate of Occupancy (OC).
She said the project architect had been ordered to carry out mitigation works to fix the damage.
Bernama reported that the state government had conceded that the floods, which affected more than 100 areas in five districts since yesterday, were due to its poor drainage system.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the drainage system could not accommodate the huge flow of water during heavy rain.
The rainstorm since 2pm on Saturday, which coincided with the peak of the high-tide phenomenon, also contributed to the flash floods, he said.
Chow said heavy rainfall was recorded, with the highest at Seberang Perai Utara at 372mm, followed by Seberang Perai Tengah (327mm), Timur Laut (289mm), Barat Daya (237mm) and Seberang Perai Selatan (165mm).
Almost all of Penang island was hit by floods yesterday, he said, adding that there were 75 reports of falling trees and eight reports on landslides.
Penang Barisan Nasional has described the floods as a “major disaster”, outdone only by the tsunami that hit parts of the island in 2004.
State BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow said the coalition would continue to find a solution to the problem.
“I have spoken to Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman, chairman of the Penang Federal Action Council, which consists of various federal agencies, including the Drainage and Irrigation Department.
“I have asked him to form a special task force to plan a comprehensive flood mitigation and drainage masterplan for Penang,” he said.
“A review of the standard operating procedure for flood relief efforts must also be undertaken in view of the changing weather patterns and availability of new communication technology,” he added.