Victims of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide will be able to obtain the declassified investigation report on the tragedy on Monday at the Ampang Jaya Munical Council (MPAJ) office at cost, said Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (pic).
He had declassified the report using provisions under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) which allows ministers and mentris besar to declassify documents. The classified report was prepared by the Public Works Department and handed to MPAJ.
Khalid, who was speaking after the weekly state executive council meeting, said the report only touched on the possible causes of the landslide and did not indicate who was responsible.
The landslide at the upmarket Taman Bukit Mewah Housing estate on Dec 6 at 3.30am destroyed 14 bungalows at the four hectare site.
Khalid said the factors behind the landslide included loose soil at the slope during development, lack of maintenance and damage to drainage system at the slope and surrounding area, heavy rainfall, cracks and a burst pipe.
However according to a summary of the technical report, the main factor was the burst pipe along abandoned houses located on the slope, which increased ground moisture at the site which collapsed.
Khalid said the summary of the report would be provided free of charge to the public.
A summary of the report, made available to the press today, said a special technical landslide investigation committee identified a series of three soil movements on the day of the incident. Each had occurred over a span of three to five minutes.
The landslide, which occurred over 4ha of residential land, was due to a combination of factors:
1) The soil had already been loosened on the slope during the development process.
2) Due to lack of maintenance of the drainage system, damage occurred on the slopes and the surrounding areas.
3) The condition deteriorated further due to the rainy season between October and November 2008.
4) Gradual soil erosion worsened the condition, leading to further collapse.
5) Soil erosion caused the active pipes to burst.
The technical committee has recommended to the state government that landslide-prone areas should be identified before any development can take place.
It also suggested that the damaged piping system be repaired in the affected area, while the size of drains all over Bukit Antarabangsa should be increased and called for the installation of equipment at high-risk areas to constantly monitor soil erosion.
It added that piping systems on slopes should not be located underground, saying it should be constantly examined and maintained to prevent leaks.
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