New hole in KL not a sinkhole, just burst pipe: KL authorities

A video showing water gushing from a hole that emerged on a road in Kuala Lumpur on Sep. 23 has set Malaysia social media off.

However, city authorities are working to debunk claims of yet another sinkhole in KL.

It's not a sinkhole

On Sep. 23, the Malay Mail reported on a 10-second video clip that apparently showed water pouring out of a crack in the road.

Blh jd sinkhole tu

KL dari BUKIT BINTANG KE arah PV wisma cosway

Tiada info lanjut pic.twitter.com/bns2xIaa3o

— #UpdateInfo🇲🇾🌍 (@update11111) September 23, 2024

The road was cordoned off, with someone who appeared to be a member of emergency services standing watch.

The area appeared to be a slip road connecting the Jalan Sultan Ismail road to Jalan Raja Chula, a major artery in the Malaysian capital.

The initial social media post was titled, "yet another sinkhole", with many users commenting under it suggesting that KL, apparently like Indonesian capital Jakarta, is sinking.

One suggested moving the capitol to Borneo as well, made clearly tongue in cheek.

It really isn't a sinkhole

But relocating the capitol is an idea that is both too ahead of its time and, somehow, at the same time too far behind.

For one thing, Malaysia already moved part of the capital to Putrajaya in the 2000s.

For another, KL residents need not fear, as the latest hole it's not another sinkhole.

The Malay Mail reported that the "sinkhole" was in fact a burst water pipe.

The KL Command and Control Centre (KLCCC) highlighted the incident at 6.30am on Sep. 23 on its social media accounts.

Insiden Paip pecah di persimpangan Jalan Sultan Ismail / Jalan Raja Chulan berhampiran CIMB Bank / MRT Raja Chulan. #kltu pic.twitter.com/GakwuhdHdc

— KLCCC DBKL (@KLCCC_DBKL) September 22, 2024

It is said the cause of the hole, and the water, was a burst water pipe.

Subsequent posts showed the arrival of repair personnel from utility company Air Selangor by 9:24am.

By 2:20pm, repair works were underway.

Except that time it was a sinkhole

KL has had a recent, and tragic, history with sinkholes.

In August 2024, an 8m-deep sinkhole opened along Jalan Masjid India, swallowing an unfortunate passing tourist.

Despite a nine-day search, where rescue personnel braved pitch black sewer pipes, they were unable to recover the tourist's remains.

During the search, KL's mayor sought to reassure residents that the city was safe, but in that period two additional holes were reported.

One appeared within sight of the original sinkhole, and the other was a collapsed drain.

Despite the new incident not being a sinkhole, some connections might concern residents: One of the suggested causes of the original Jalan Masjid India sinkhole was a burst pipe.

This speculation was due in part to a 10m-deep sinkhole that opened up in KL in 2014, which was caused by a burst water pipe.

As of Monday, 5:20pm, the slip road was still fully closed and repair works were still underway.

5.20pm : Kerja-kerja baikpulih Paip Pecah sedang giat dilakukan di lokasi. Penutupan penuh di lokasi. pic.twitter.com/pbSEy8WxNJ

— KLCCC DBKL (@KLCCC_DBKL) September 23, 2024

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Top image via @update11111/x & @KLCCC_DBKL/X