THE Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has assured that the entire area around Jalan Masjid India is safe for visitors and that no stalls or buildings have been instructed to cease operations.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor, Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif, stated that currently, the area closed off with barriers only involves a stretch of approximately 200 meters from Wisma Yakin to the police kiosk to allow for repair and construction work at the site of the subsidence incident.
“During the incident, we did not issue any orders to close down any stalls; only a portion of the area was closed off. The public can still visit using the pedestrian pathways.
“We have also met with the traders’ association in the Jalan Masjid India area yesterday and confirmed that the surrounding area is safe, but access to the area closed off with barriers is prohibited,” she told Bernama after attending the Amboi festival at TRX today.
DBKL Executive Director Of Project Management Mohamad Bin Hamim assured the traders that works should be completed within three to six months, and they will be updated at least once a week.
On August 23, a woman, G Vijaya Lakshmi, 48, from Kuppam, Andhra, India, went missing after falling into an eight-meter deep sinkhole on Jalan Masjid India. After nine days, the search and rescue (SAR) operation for the woman was halted without any findings.
Yesterday, the Minister of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), Nga Kor Ming, was reported to have said that the subsidence incident on Jalan Masjid India is an isolated case and should not suggest that the country, particularly Kuala Lumpur, is unsafe to live in.
Kor Ming stated that building structures in the country are constructed to high safety standards and that underground utility mapping according to state utility corridors is continuously carried out in phases. – Sept 6, 2024
Main image: thestar
