Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (4th left) and Behrang assemblyman Salina Samsudin (third left)together with department heads during the press conference showing photos of the collapsed bridge.
IPOH: A broken culvert has led to the Sg Liat bridge in Sungkai collapsing on Saturday night (April 19), says Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin.
The Perak infrastructure, energy, water and public transport committee chairman said the culvert was struck by waste materials, logs and other debris.
He said that combined with strong water currents, the culvert weakened and eventually gave way, and when it broke, the bridge itself collapsed too.
“We got clarification that the bridge and the main access road were originally constructed by Felda some 20 years ago.
“That means the agencies under my jurisdiction had no involvement with the small road leading to Kg Tisong or the bridge.
“We will officially register it under the Malaysian Road Records Information System (Marris), so that the Public Works Department can carry out maintenance and repairs, including on the bridge,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of the Perak state assembly sitting on Monday.
The incident stranded some 200 people, including 85 students from a polytechnic, as the bridge connected the Felda Residence Hot Springs, Buyong Mas Sanctuary campsite, Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Tisong, and several smaller campsites.
Mohamad Nizar said the long-term plan was to rebuild the collapsed bridge.
He said a temporary single-lane Bailey bridge would be put up by April 29.
“The department will work around the clock, rain or shine, because our target is for the bridge to be safely passable by the stipulated timeframe,” he said.
Mohammad Nizar added that at the Buyong Mas Sanctuary campsite, approximately 85 students and staff from Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah, Behrang, were rescued by the Fire and Rescue Department, while at the Felda Residence Hot Springs, some 95 visitors remained there due to a lack of suitable vehicles to bring them out.
Meanwhile, he said that at the Kg Sungai Tisong Orang Asli settlement, there are 536 residents, with five pregnant women safely evacuated and relocated to the Orang Asli Transit Centre in Sungkai.
“There are also 81 children from the Orang Asli village who attend schools at both SMK Sungkai and SK FELDA Sungkai.
“The state Education Department and the Batang Padang district education office are taking steps to ensure their learning is not disrupted despite the road access issue,” he added.
