WAS IT THE LIMESTONE?
Malaysian social media has been abuzz, sharing past research findings of the Malaysian capital being susceptible to sinkholes, landslides and rockfalls due to its geology.
According to a 2017 study by researchers from the Universiti Teknologi MARA’s Faculty of Architecture, Planning and Surveying, Kuala Lumpur has two different geological formations: The Kenny Hill Formation which consists of sedimentary rocks, and Kuala Lumpur Limestone Formation with “highly erratic karstic constituents”.
Rapid development over the past 158 years has led to “specific changes in topography and geomorphology such as the appearance of sinkholes”, the study stated.
While sinkholes cannot be completely prevented, the authors said they can be systematically managed, such as by accurately mapping hazard zones before any development takes place.
Many cities around the world are, in fact, built on limestone, said Dr Lim Choun Sian of the Geological Society of Malaysia.
“It is not really a red flag to build on limestone,” he told CNA. “You must make sure that the design and construction is based on proper investigations and there must be proper mitigation measures in place.”
The cause of last Friday’s incident is still not known, experts noted.
While the city’s widespread limestone bedrock is well-known, this does not apply to all areas of Kuala Lumpur, noted Dr Nor Shahidah Mohd Nazer, an expert in geological engineering and soil mechanics.
Agreeing, Dr Lim said that it has not been established that the Masjid India area is built on limestone.
“It is possible that it is, but we can’t say until there are checks. People are just making guesses that it is, because almost half of Kuala Lumpur is on limestone,” he said.
“We have to establish the kind of geology and conduct thorough investigations.”
Source: Channel News Asia
