Traffic in Hong Kong’s upscale district The Peak was unusually congested on Saturday, after an underground water pipe burst and caused a landslide.
According to police, a water pipe hidden underneath Peak Road, near the section of Coombe Road, burst at about 5pm on Friday. It then triggered a landslide covering an area ofthree metres by 20 metres. First responders were called to the scene and no one was injured in the incident.
Videos taken by passers-by showed a slope underneath the road collapsing as the stream of water became a mudslide and nearby trees fell.
As of Saturday afternoon, a single-lane, two-way traffic arrangement was still in place for the section of Peak Road between Barker Road and Magazine Gap Road, as well as a portion of Coombe Road near Magazine Gap Road.
“Heavy vehicles are not allowed to travel on the above road sections. Motorists are advised to follow the instructions of police on site,” the Transport Department said, with officers also advising the public to avoid driving to The Peak.
Jeremy Young Chit-on, The Peak constituency’s district councillor and Liberal Party member, issued a landslide alert on social media on Friday, urging residents to avoid unnecessary journeys around the affected area.
“Thanks to the reinforcement pillars that were placed decades ago after a similar incident, we are able to avoid a potential disaster!” he wrote.