Ampang landslide: Tech team still studying soil movement

KUALA LUMPUR - The government technical committee team is still conducting a soil movement study at the landslide location in Taman Bukit Permai 2, Ampang, here, said Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) Zone 23 councillor, Mohamad Samat.

He said that the team involved the Public Works Department (PWD), Malaysian Public Works Institute and Minerals and Geoscience Department, together with MPAJ.

"Therefore the location of the incident is still cordoned off, and no work to clean up and remove landslide debris is carried out at this time because the soil stability has yet to be determined.

"Any decision for follow-up action at the scene depends on the results of the study conducted by the committee later,” he told reporters at the scene today.

According to him, at this time the team may still be studying the strength of the slope before any other decisions are made.

"We understand that the PWD has planted sensor equipment (detectors) on the affected hills, and these sensors are very sensitive to periodically detect any new ground movement.

"Any further action may be decided within a day or two because we do not want any risk to arise if the decision is made in a hurry,” he said.

Mohamad said that MPAJ's current course of action was to ask the affected residents to immediately come forward to make a report and register with MPAJ, which would then arrange appropriate assistance.

"Currently, only 70 per cent of the residents, out of the 48 (homes) affected and forced to relocate, have registered. Therefore, we ask the unregistered families to come forward to the MPAJ Zone 23 Councillor’s office,” he said.

On Thursday (March 10), a landslide at Taman Bukit Permai 2 in Ampang claimed four lives and caused minor injuries, besides affecting 15 houses and 10 vehicles. - BERNAMA