According to the NST article
"rain over the past week could have affected the stability of the soil and, as a result, it was unable to withstand the train's weight."
But this was the possible reason given by the District police chief and so we should wait for the official reason.
If you study the photo, you will notice that the train is about 20 meters above the water and also about the same distance horizontally from the water's edge. Apart from the continuous rain that would definitely affect soil stability and also the eroding effect of the river undercutting the slope, one should also not rule out the theft of those steel pins that hold the rails in place.
The daily or weekly rail inspection logs should also be examined to check on the last log entries.
Finally the operating instruction for the train at this stretch should also be studied. Was the train going over the speed limit at the time of the incident? More speed equals more vibrations that may trigger the landslide.
Photo: Thanks to the New Straits Times
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