SHAH ALAM – Just over a year after a tragic sinkhole claimed the life of an Indian tourist, another road collapse has struck Kuala Lumpur’s Masjid India area.
The latest incident has raised new concerns about the safety of ageing underground infrastructure in one of the capital’s busiest commercial districts.
A New Sinkhole on Jalan Bunus
On Nov 10, a section of Jalan Bunus in the Masjid India neighbourhood suddenly caved in around 8.39am, right in front of the Bombay Jewellery outlet.
According to Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), the subsidence prompted an immediate closure of Jalan Masjid India to all vehicles, stretching from Lorong Masjid India 4 beside the mosque to the affected area.
Teams from DBKL, Air Selangor, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) and the Dang Wangi district police were dispatched to the scene to assess the situation and conduct safety inspections.
DBKL said in a statement that “public safety remains our utmost priority,” adding that monitoring and technical evaluations were ongoing.
This marks the second time in just over a year that the same area has been struck by ground collapse.
Repairs Completed Within Hours
After extensive inspection and repair works, DBKL confirmed that the affected section of Jalan Bunus was fully repaired and reopened to traffic by 6pm on the same day.
“DBKL will continue to conduct close monitoring, as well as further inspections and scanning of the location and surrounding areas,” the city authority said.
It thanked the public for their cooperation during the temporary closure, adding that the road’s subsidence appeared to be localised and did not indicate a wider structural threat.
Why It Happened: A Recurring Pattern
The latest incident comes just two weeks after the government disclosed the official cause of last year’s deadly Masjid India sinkhole, which occurred on August 23, 2024.
During a parliamentary session on Oct 24, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa revealed that the 2024 collapse was triggered by the failure of a corroded sewer pipe, exacerbated by unstable soil conditions.
Zaliha clarified that, contrary to initial fears, the incident was not caused by limestone erosion, explaining that the affected site sits atop the Kenny Hills Formation, composed of schist rock, while limestone lies much deeper—between 60 to 70 metres below ground.
She said the task force had completed its full investigation and presented the findings to the Cabinet last August, with DBKL expected to release a public report by the end of the year.
What Authorities Are Doing
In response to public concern, DBKL has expanded its geotechnical studies across Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle and other high-density areas.
The studies employ a combination of advanced tools including borehole resistivity, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology to map soil composition and detect underground weaknesses.
So far, early findings indicate no areas classified as high-risk, according to DBKL. However, the agency continues to stress the importance of regular inspections, especially in older parts of the city where underground drainage and sewer systems have aged significantly.
A Painful Reminder of the 2024 Tragedy
The latest ground collapse serves as a painful reminder of the 2024 tragedy that shook Malaysia and the rest of the world.
On Aug 23, 2024, Vijayaletchumy Gali, a 48-year-old tourist from Andhra Pradesh, India, fell into an 8-metre-deep sinkhole that suddenly opened beneath her feet while she was walking with her husband and son.
The two managed to escape, but Vijayaletchumy was swept underground.
A massive nine-day search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies failed to locate her body and she was declared legally dead on September 1, 2024. Her family later performed religious rites at the site before returning to India.
The tragedy led to the formation of a multi-agency task force to study urban development safety, drainage systems, and infrastructure integrity in the city centre—a move that has since influenced DBKL’s long-term monitoring strategies.
What’s Next for Masjid India
While DBKL’s swift repairs and ongoing monitoring efforts have reassured many, the recurring collapses continue to highlight the urgent need for infrastructure renewal in older city zones.
Experts warn that underground corrosion, combined with high traffic density and complex drainage networks, could make similar incidents more likely if maintenance is not proactive.
For now, DBKL maintains that Jalan Masjid India and its surrounding areas are structurally stable, but the city’s experience serves as a critical reminder that vigilance, investment and transparency are key to preventing another tragedy beneath Kuala Lumpur’s streets.