Incident occurs when many are making their way home after the holidays
COLLAPSED: A closer look at the landslip.
SERIAN: Traffic stalled for hours in Serian yesterday as vehicles using the Pan Borneo Road were forced to reroute, following a major landslip at KM77 Kuching-Sri Aman Road near Kampung Semukoi here.
The landslip, believed to have occured at about 8pm on Wednesday, caused a 100-metre stretch of the road to collapse by about two to three metres.
To make matters worse, a truck carrying toxic materials broke down in the middle of the road as it tried to make a U-turn not far from where the road had collapsed.
The incident happened when many are making their way back to their places of domicile with the holiday season coming to an end.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng, who visited the site yesterday, told reporters that works are now in progress to repair the road and build a diversion on a nearby land as soon as possible.
As for now, he disclosed that vehicles still have the option of using the by-pass route of Jalan Mentung Merau by entering Slabi junction and exiting Krait junction for those coming in from Kuching, and otherwise for those from opposite direction.
He nonetheless conceded that this alternative route is eight kilometres longer than the usual way and may cause inconvenience to the road users.
“The concession company in charge of road maintenance is doing the repairs. We hope they can be done quickly because this is part of the important road link from Kuching to Sri Aman, the western part, the northern part and the rest of the state as well as vice versa. Even though there is an alternative route, it is only a temporary measure and we hope we can get this road accessible again within the next three days.
“If the repairs are taking too long, this would only lead to more hardship to the people,” he said.
Asked on the possible cause of the landslip, he said it could have been due to increased rainfall which led to the porous soil condition under the road. He also dismissed suggestions that the soil was not stable.
“My ministry has been conducting probes and monitoring roads built on slopes in the country. This one (at Semukoi) is unexpected because it is not on a slope, not on a side of a hill though it is on an area which is a bit elevated. This is really something strange due to movement of soil causing the road to collapse,” he said.
He elaborated that during rainy seasons, defects on roads are bound to happen but he promised the government will do its best to carry out the repairs.
Meanwhile, Serian district police chief DSP Mohammad Jamali Umi said his men have been stationed at Jalan Slabi junction and Krait junction to divert motorists to the alternative road.
He also said traffic along Jalan Pan Borneo from Serian to Sri Aman was under control.
Acting deputy chairman of Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee Datuk Misnu Taha said there was no casualty arising from the landslide nor was there any vehicle affected by it.
A quick survey at the affected area around noon time found out that several motorcycles and four-wheel-drive vehicles could access the road after an excavator filled the cracks at one lane with soil.
As at yesterday afternoon, efforts were still being made to clear the road off the truck which had broken down.
Meanwhile, the state government will bid for emergency federal fund to repair the eroded stretch.
Speaking at a news conference here yesterday, Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee chairman Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, without disclosing any figure, said the final drawing of the works would be completed in two days.
At the moment, the deputy chief minister advised road users to opt for alternative routes – a diversion through KM38 Serian-Balai Ringin and Jalan Krait.
“Due to incessant rains, the soil level or stability underneath the road is affected. Jalan Slabi is passable and the one at Balai Ringin is now passable with one single lane.
“But luckily we have got Jalan Krait (leading to Jalan Mentung Merau) as the bypass and JKR (Public Works Department) Kuala Lumpur has been notified,” he said.
DISASTER: The landslip as at about 7am yesterday.