GEORGE TOWN: Rotten and weak tree roots and soft soil due to rain are believed to be the causes of a rockfall on Jalan Paya Terubong last Friday, which resulted in the death of a foreign motorcyclist who was believed to have collided with a 0.45 x 0.36 metre-sized rock.
Penang Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the findings were obtained through a technical study by the state Public Works Department (JKR) through slope safety specialist company Pintas Utama Sdn Bhd (PUSB) and the Engineering Department (Geotech) of the Penang City Council (MBPP) at the incident location.
He said his party had ordered JKR and MBPP to conduct a detailed investigation at the accident site to find out the cause of the rock movement and conduct a slope stability study upon receiving an initial report on the incident.
“The results of the study also found that the stone block is believed to have rolled down the slope and collided with another block in the roadside ditch before completely falling onto the road surface.
“Based on the impact of the broken stone and the position of the victim, it is suspected that the victim collided with a stone that had fallen earlier. Not crushed by rocks as reported,” he said in a statement, tonight.
As a safety measure, Zairil said the Penang Public Works Department had implemented a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) by installing rockfall warning signs along the location.
In addition, canvas was also installed to prevent rocks from falling directly onto the road as a short-term solution while a long-term mitigation plan is being refined at the department level.
Therefore, he advised road users to be more careful when using the road.
Earlier, the media reported that a Bangladeshi construction worker died when the motorcycle he was riding skidded after being hit by a rock that was believed to have fallen from the hillside on Jalan Paya Terubong towards Farlim last Friday.
Northeast district deputy police chief Supt Lee Swee Sake said investigations found that the incident occurred at 12.45 am and upon arriving at Jalan Paya Terubong, the object was suspected to be a 0.5 m-sized rock weighing about 50 kilogrammes (kg) which suddenly fell from the hillside.
