Sabah Braces For More Road Collapses In Bad Weather

---

 
Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Bung Moktar Radin (second from left) looking at the extent of the damage on the Hilltop flyover in Kota Kinabalu today.KOTA KINABALU: More roads are likely to collapse in Sabah if the current rainy weather persists.
At least 10 roads have been affected by landslides triggered by heavy rainfall over the past one week and state deputy chief minister Bung Moktar Radin is bracing for more collapses.
Bung, who is also the state infrastructure development minister, said: “We are still gathering the related data. We are not discounting the possibility of more roads collapsing if the rain continues.”
Almost an entire parking lot near the Kinabalu National Park in Kundasang, Ranau, collapsed yesterday in a landslide.
Another section of the Paitan-Kanibongan road collapsed in interior Sabah, affecting the Paitan water treatment plant office.
Speaking during a visit today to the Hilltop flyover in Luyang, where parts of the structure fell to the ground, he said he had instructed the concession company managing the flyover to immediately repair cracks on the infrastructure.
“The flyover can still be used by all vehicles but we have closed one of the lanes and a section below it for the public’s safety.
“The repair work must be done quickly to allay public concern.”
Bung said the various departments are also looking at drainage and irrigation issues that might have contributed to the problem.
Sabah DAP has demanded a probe into the cracks at the flyover. Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin said the probe must be conducted by an independent body as this was a matter of public interest, with the safety of the people at stake.
He said repairs alone were not enough, adding an in-depth investigation was needed to determine why the side barriers had been dislodged.
“Heads must roll if it’s proven that this issue is not an act of God. We should ensure the real culprits are identified and are held responsible for it, be it a design failure or construction negligence,” he said. -  FMT

---