Repair work involving a sinkhole that appeared along Jalan Burma here this morning is expected to take about five days, says Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).
IWK said the sinkhole was caused by a sewer pipe that had collapsed due to a dislocated joint, that is, when two connected pipes slip out of alignment, causing leaks or a collapse.
The national sewerage company said initial checks pointed to a force main – a pressurised sewer pipe – but later investigations showed the failure involved a larger gravity-fed pipe.
“The collapsed pipe is a 52.5cm gravity line, located just downstream from the force main,” it said in response to queries from FMT.
IWK said urgent repairs were under way and that it was taking all necessary steps to fix the problem safely and quickly.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has advised motorists to avoid the area around Komtar as traffic diversions are in place along Jalan Burma.
