Families from seven houses in Alam Damai, Cheras have been ordered to evacuate their homes following a land erosion incident in the area.

A large portion of the area had eroded and several houses nearby had cracked following the land erosion caused by heavy rains.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident was caused by water movement underground connected to the development projects nearby which had started since 2013.

The sail erosion had caused the drain and retaining wall near the residential area on the hill to collapse. This had caused the road to crack.

According the residence there, this was the worst incident in the area.

Authorities from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia (IKRAM) who conducted the checks found several houses unsafe to be lived in for some time.

The residents were moved in stages to a hotel since yesterday with the cost borne by the project developer.

Kuala Lumpur mayor, Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib when contacted confirmed that several immediate action have been taken to avoid further problems.

This includes closing the affected road and diverting the water.

A DBKL temporary office and a police booth was also established to monitor the situation.

The development project of a 29 story building was also halted.