Abandoned Highway at Gua Tempurung Since 1996
As we have been told, Gua Tempurung is believed to have existed for thousands of years. It once served as a shelter for humans, as evidenced by the ancient paintings found on the walls of this largest limestone cave in Peninsular Malaysia.
Many mystical and mysterious stories are often discussed by North-South Expressway users when passing through the Gua Tempurung area. This is because this area is among those with the highest frequency of fatal accidents. It is said that supernatural beings cause disturbances and lead to accidents, although the actual cause is often the negligence of drivers who enjoy speeding in the area. The terrain around Gua Tempurung, located near the North-South Expressway, consists of mountains covered in dense tropical rainforest. And now, what we can see is that many of these mountains are being cleared to extract timber, stones, and other natural resources to meet human demands for construction materials.
It is possible that these factors contribute to the landslides that have occurred several times in the area. Do you still remember the landslide on January 6, 1996, which occurred near the Gua Tempurung rest stop? The incident that took place that day left marks that we can still see today. The landslide that shocked the people of Malaysia at the time occurred on the hillside at kilometer 303.8 of the North-South Expressway. It is located right within the Gua Tempurung area and near the Gua Tempurung rest stop. You will surely notice the existence of an old, abandoned highway that has not been used since 1996 when passing through this area. It was abandoned due to a landslide that severely damaged the highway bridge structure, making it likely irreparable. When you travel south on the highway in this area, look to the left of the current road. There, you can see the remains of the old, abandoned highway bridge. In fact, the route we use today is a new one built to bypass the landslide area.
the aftermath of the 2004 landslide
As a result of this landslide, a lorry driver who was passing through the highway was killed at the scene. Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Komoo from the Institute for Environment and Development, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), claimed that the landslide that occurred in the area near Gua Tempurung was the result of excessive mudflow (mud flood).
