By STEPHEN THEN | Dec 21, 2009

Continuous rain can lead to landslides at Canada Hill

MIRI: The more than 600 residents living in villages located on the slopes and at the foot of Canada Hill in Miri have been warned of imminent dangers ahead should the rainy season persist.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam, in issuing the warning, said he had obtained information from the Geological Department that warned of dangers of erosions that may trigger massive landslides if the rain continued.

Dr Chan, who is Sarawak Disaster Relief Committee

chairman, said he had to issue the public warning because he was worried that a tragedy might take place in the Canada Hill region.

“Please take heed. Move out of your houses and leave immediately should you see any signs of earth movement or cracks on the soil surface.

“If the downpour continues, don’t wait for something to happen. Evacuate as soon as possible and call the authorities,” he said after being briefed by the Geological Department here.

Dr Chan said he did not want to see a repeat of the landslide tragedy early this year that killed two people and buried a dozen houses at the foot of Canada Hill, near the city centre.

On Jan 16, two foreign workers working at a petrol station at the bottom of the hill were buried alive when tonnes of rocks and earth on the face of the western side of Canada Hill collapsed onto their housing quarters.

The tragedy happened after several days of continuous downpour that had loosened the earth along the foot of the 200m-high hill.

The two men, identified as Indonesians in their early 20s, were living in a concrete hut at the foot of the hill behind the petrol station in Jalan Bintang.

The hut was completely buried during the landslide while the petrol station sustained serious structural damage.

However, the earth and rocks that came crashing down did not hit the petrol and diesel tanks.

Dr Chan said the state government had hired geologists to study various spots on the hill to determine the stability of the soil structure.

“The study showed that the slopes are unstable. The residents should move out fast.

“However, the state authorities cannot force them out or instruct them to leave because the land belongs to them,” he said.

He added that the rainy season was expected to continue into the new year.