28 January 2022

Seri Kembangan: an impressive cut slope failure in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Posted by Dave Petley

Seri Kembangan: an impressive cut slope failure in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

On 25 January 2022 a large cut slope failure occurred on the banks of a drainage channel in Seri Kembangan, a suburb of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.  This event was notable because it was caught by local people on a set of spectacular videos.  For example, this one provides a good perspective on the event from two different viewpoints, and includes some images of the aftermath:-

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In the second video in the above compilation a driver can be seen rescuing a car a few seconds before the collapse.  That was a lucky escape.  Reports indicate that cracks formed in the road in the hour or so ahead of the collapse, and that a number of other cars were moved before the videos started,

The site of the collapse, Jalan LP 1A/2 Lestari Perdana, Serdang, is shown in the Google Streetview image from January last year:-

The site of the collapse at Seri Kembangan

The site of the collapse at Seri Kembangan in Malaysia. Image from Google Streetview.

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It is interesting to note the poor state of repair of the site and the patches in the road surface.  The best image that I’ve tracked down of the aftermath is this one, from MyMetro:-

The aftermath of the landslide at Seri Kembangan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The aftermath of the landslide at Seri Kembangan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Image from MyMetro, taken by Aizuddin Saad.

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News reports indicate that works are now underway to secure the site with sheet piles whilst a permanent solution is found.  This is a pragmatic approach – note the arcuate cracks extending through the road surface in the image above.  There are also calls now for an enhanced safety regime from slopes in Malaysia, along the lines of the processes in Hong Kong.

In many ways this is reminiscent of the 2014 retaining wall collapse in Charles Town, Baltimore, which also sent cars tumbling into a drainage channel.