Daily Express Subscriber
Sign in to your account.

LAHAD DATU: Access along the main Lahad Datu-Tawau route was restored on Friday evening after emergency repair works were completed following an embankment failure near Silam.

Lahad Datu District Officer Firuz Idzualdeen Mohd Dzul said the incident occurred at CH97+000 at about 2pm, damaging approximately 50 metres of the roadway and forcing a temporary closure of the route.

He said immediate action by the Public Works Department (JKR) and the Works Package Contractor enabled temporary diversion and road filling works to be completed by about 6.30pm to reconnect the route and ease congestion affecting motorists.

Firuz said no injuries were reported and JKR would continue monitoring the area to ensure the route remained safe for public use, while the cause of the embankment failure was still under investigation.

Earlier, vehicles were stranded in both directions due to the closure, affecting motorists travelling from Lahad Datu, Tawau, Semporna, Kunak, Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, while photos and videos of the incident circulated on social media with authorities advising road users to exercise caution when passing through the area.