Buildings sound despite Peak Road landslide: expert

A structural engineer has assured people that buildings near a section of Peak Road that experienced a landslide last Friday are still structurally sound.

Video widely shared online showed earth cascading down the hillside, covering an area of three metres by 20 metres after a water pipe burst underneath the road.

Engineer Ngai Hok-yan said the water pipe concerned was likely constructed years ago.

“At that time, probably, the water pipe was not covered with any other box culvert or pipework structures, and was only embedded into the soil. So once it was broken, the water pressure washed out the soil and caused some potential slip surface, causing the landslide,” he said.

But Ngai said there is no reason for nearby residents to worry.

“The overall structure is in a sound condition, and I don’t think it will cause any structural instability.”

In light of the incident, parts of the road will be limited to a single lane of traffic until November 19.