Dashcam footage of Penang landslide shows tonnes of earth narrowly missing vehicles
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The hillside along Jalan Tun Sardon in Penang, Malaysia, gave way on Oct 23, sending tonnes of earth cascading onto the road.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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GEORGE TOWN, Penang – Dashcam footage shows the moment a hillside gave way along Jalan Tun Sardon, a major road in Penang, Malaysia, sending tonnes of earth cascading onto the road and narrowly missing several vehicles.
Footage of the incident, which occurred at about 5pm on Oct 23, shows motorists speeding away to avoid being engulfed by the debris on the two-lane road connecting Balik Pulau and Relau, both suburbs of George Town in Penang.
In the footage, several motorcyclists can be seen frantically waving to warn oncoming traffic amid heavy rain. A sport utility vehicle appears to have sustained damage to its front after being caught in the debris.
Penang Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director John Sagun Francis said rescuers rushed to the scene after receiving a call. But he added that checks later confirmed that no vehicles or victims were affected.
“The team found that a section of the hillside had collapsed onto the road, covering an area of about 9m by 6m,” he said.
He added that firefighters from Seri Balik Pulau and Paya Terubong stations carried out clearing works and removed fallen trees before the Public Works Department (JKR) and police took over the site.
Several smaller landslips and signs of soil erosion were also detected along the hillside stretch, prompting the authorities to close the road.
Technician Kamarul Ariffin, 42, was among those caught in the chaos after the landslide struck.
He said he was heading home on his motorcycle in Balik Pulau when he noticed vehicles ahead turning back.
“I saw people waving and shouting for us to turn around as there was a pile of soil and trees blocking the road,” he said. “It was a terrifying sight, (and) I was lucky to have missed it.”
Mr Kamarul said he knew Jalan Tun Sardon was prone to landslides.
“Many of us still use it because it’s the quickest way between George Town and Balik Pulau,” he said.
Penang infrastructure, transport and digital committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said Jalan Tun Sardon would remain closed until further notice.
“The road will be closed pending investigation and clearing of the debris,” he said. “All road users are requested to reorganise their journeys.”
In a statement, JKR said an 8km stretch between the Bukit Kukus intersection and Balik Pulau would be temporarily closed. It added that the road is expected to reopen to traffic by 6pm on Oct 25.
Checks at 9pm on Oct 23 found the stretch deserted as heavy rain continued to fall.
Much of the landslide debris had been cleared, but contractors will only conduct a thorough evaluation of the situation on Oct 24. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
