Sinkhole along Sales Road traced to water leak; probe underway

A personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority inspects a sinkhole in the middle of Sales Road near the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Sunday afternoon, April 14, 2024. (Photo from the MMDA)

MANILA, Philippines — The sinkhole spotted along Sales Road near the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on Sunday, was likely formed due to a water leak, according to the Maynilad Water Services Inc (Maynilad).  

Maynilad Corporate Communications head Jennifer Rufo told INQUIRER.net on Monday that the pool of water in the sinkhole was discovered to have leaked from a pipe along the road. 

“The sinkhole was likely formed because the soil got drenched from the water spilling out of a pipe leak,” Rufo said in a Viber message. 

“We conducted leak detection yesterday and found that the leak was coming from a secondary pipeline (200mm diameter) along Sales Road corner Gozar St., Pasay. Our field personnel completed repairs around 1 a.m. earlier,” she added. 

Rufo said they are still investigating the cause of the pipe damage since it is “fairly new” and seemed to have “sustained an external hit likely from third parties.”

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Department of Public Works and Highways closed down the portion of the road near Gate 3 of Villamor Air Base after the sinkhole was spotted.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), sinkholes happen due to “dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum – when acidic water from rain and groundwater interacts with these rocks.”

USGS also said sinkholes may occur from human activities such as extensive groundwater pumping.