THE sinkhole that appeared on a section of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway near Bentong could have been caused by East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) construction work in the locale, Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said.

He said checks revealed underground tunnel boring works for the railway link infrastructure project were being done in the vicinity.

“Initial investigations found there is ECRL underground tunnel construction work across the highway in the respective location. I have instructed the departments and agencies involved to provide me with regular updates on the incident,” he said on Twitter today.

Nanta said the incident, which occurred at 8.34pm yesterday, did not result in any untoward incidents and no casualties were reported.

The sinkhole at KM66.1 of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway, which affected both directions near Bentong, resulted in the closure at the affected stretch of the highway.

East Coast Expressway in a post on its Facebook page last night requested that motorists from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur exit at the East Bentong intersection and re-enter at the West Bentong intersection.

Several photos circulated on social media showing the road surface with a large sinkhole, believed to be due to soil settlement on the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway. – July 26, 2023.