TIRUCHY: The Kumbakonam-Thanjavur highway caved in unexpectedly on Saturday and civic officials who inspected the spot opined that it was due to a pipeline burst while the repair works were initiated.

The residents from Kumbakonam on Saturday found the Kumbakonam-Thanjavur highway had caved in suddenly and they passed on the information to the civic officials immediately. The police who came to the spot blocked the traffic by placing barricades, to fix the sudden damage.

By the time the civic officials arrived at the spot with earth movers the damage turned wider beyond four feet and the sewage water was gushing through it.

The civic staff who inspected the spot said that the damage was caused because of a burst in the underground drainage pipeline due to excess heat.

Subsequently, the pipeline was replaced and the pit was closed and the traffic was diverted from the fish market area until the problem was solved.

In the meantime, the Kumbakonam Municipal Commissioner ordered the officials to inspect the UGD and drinking water pipelines and repair if there was any leakage.