THE road leading towards Jalan  Klang Lama and Taman Sri Sentosa from the Jalan Templer roundabout was closed to traffic yesterday morning as a burst pipe had caused a sinkhole  near the BHPetrol station.

The road closure, to facilitate repair works,   had caused the morning  rush hour traffic  to come to a standstill before it was diverted by auxiliary police.

A Streets check showed that repair works were being carried out.  

Motorists from Jalan Gasing were guided towards Section 1.  

The sinkhole measured  2.5m  wide and 1.5m  deep. Pressure from the burst underground pipe also caused a five-metre long crack on the road.

A source at the scene said  Syabas was notified at 7am  and its workers were despatched  to the scene immediately.

Section 1B Rukun Tetagga chairman Kok Kuan Yong said many households from Section 1 and Section 2 faced water disruption from 5am due to the burst pipe.

"When we woke up in the morning, some of us did not have running tap water. When I called Syabas, I was informed of the burst pipe and told that water supply will be restored by 5pm the latest.

However by 1pm, he added, water supply was resumed to several  houses.

A newspaper vendor at the Jalan Othman market said  she could not shower this morning as there was no water supply.

The burst pipe also  caused traffic congestion for motorists coming from Taman Medan, passing by Plantation House in Jalan Templer, said another affected person.

A Petaling Jaya City Council spokesman said the pipe burst came under Syabas' jurisdiction and that they had acted on it immediately.

A  spokesman from Syabas said the incident caused congestion on the New Pantai Expressway  as well. About 4,000 households were affected, leaving some 20,000 with no water supply.