KUANTAN – Residents of 66 houses in Taman Gambang Damai here were ordered to move out today as a precautionary measure, after two houses collapsed due to soil movements on Tuesday.
Pahang Local Government and Housing Committee chairman Datuk Abd Rahim Muda said they consisted of homeowners located within 100m of the scene of the incident.
“We will call a slope expert from Cameron Highlands to make an assessment immediately to ensure the situation is safe before they can be allowed to return home.
“Currently, we are also placing officers from the Pahang Minerals and Geosciences Department to monitor and make hourly reports on the condition of the soil to see if there is still movement,” he said.
Rahim said this to reporters after visiting the location of the incident today, with Deputy Finance Minister II, Mohd Shahar Abdullah who is also the Paya Besar MP.
Residents who were ordered to move, were currently housed in a nearby resort with the help of a developer, while some opted to board with relatives or rent in a nearby residential area.
Apart from that, Rahim also said that they were aware of ground cracks at a water tank near the collapsed houses, and immediate action was taken to empty the tank.
On Tuesday, two houses in the housing area collapsed around 3.30am, believed to be because of soil movements due to continuous rain since last Saturday.
However, no casualties were reported as the occupants had left the house a few hours before the incident. – Bernama, January 7, 2021
