According to the South Kalimantan Police Chief Inspector General Rikwanto, the initial assumption for the cause of the collapse is that the aging building is situated in a flood-prone area, weakening its foundation over time.
However, construction expert Supiansyah Darham has a different opinion. He told teras7 than the cause was most likely due to construction flaw when it was built.
He pointed to fact that as most buildings in Banjarmasin are built above peat soil, they would tilt first if soil structure is the problem. “It is impossible for it to suddenly collapse like what happened with the,” he argued.
“I surmise it was caused by construction failure. The problem might already be there when it was being constructed,” he explained. “If the foundation fails, the building will start sinking, and cracks will appear,” he added. (rr)