Kuala Lumpur’s ground or foundation is mostly comprised of limestone and quartz. Experts also found that the Kuala Lumpur Limestone Formation contributed to the formation of caves and karst in some areas.
However, this does not mean there’s an actual large cave system underneath the city as claimed by a Facebook post about a discovery by a Universiti Malaya geology scholar named Dr Sarah Jamal. Let’s reiterate: there’s no “Gua Kuala Lumpur” (KL Cave) underground.
As it turned out, no one by that name holds that particular accreditation at Universiti Malaya nor was the person registered with the Board of Geologists Malaysia. Yeap, it’s a fake name, person, and “article.”
This was all confirmed by Associate Professor Dr Meor Hakif Amir Hassan, the head of the Geology Department at Universiti Malaya.
The UM Geology staff took precautions when commenting on the Jalan Masjid India incident which resulted in a loss of life given that the search and rescue work (SAR) and investigation were ongoing and the cause of the incident was undetermined.
Associate Professor Dr Meor Hakif Amir Hassan, UM’s Head of the Geology Department
Last Friday, a sinkhole at Jalan Masjid India swallowed up a 48-year-old Indian national woman, Vijaya Lakshmi Gali, when she was on her way to the temple.
She fell into the eight-metre-deep hole and SAR efforts only found her slippers to date. The search for her continues as it enters the fifth day.
If you’re into exploring caves safely…
On another note, Malaysia has many caves to explore if you want to give it a go. Some of the popular caves in the Peninsular are Batu Caves in Selangor, Gua Kelam in Perlis, Gunung Reng in Kelantan, Tong Cave Temple and Gua Tempurung in Perak, and Gua Charas in Pahang.
Meanwhile, in East Malaysia, we have Fairy Cave, Gua Niah, and Gua Mulu in Sarawak, and the Gomantong Caves in Sabah.
