Chennai: Traffic at Chennai’s busy Madhya Kailash junction almost came to a standstill after the road caved in. Traffic police barricaded the spot and vehicular movement was slow due to the crater on the road.

Reports suggested that the six-feet deep sinkhole appeared at the tri-junction of Old Mahabalipuram Road, Sardar Patel Road and Gandhi Mandapam.

Officials are trying to ascertain why the road caved in. Reports also stated that the road caved in due to underground drainage work that was being done close by.  Visuals from the spot also show the leak in the drainage pipe beneath the sinkhole.

Also read: 500 electric buses to be introduced in three cities in Tamil Nadu: Transport minister Vijayabhaskar

The Chennai traffic police even took to Twitter to alert citizens that traffic is slow around the area. "#TrafficAlert: Traffic flow slow on Sardar Patel Road both direction as the road has caved in at CPT Jn. Traffic men attending."

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), which is carrying out infrastructure works on OMR for its second phase, has denied it being the reason for the road caving in.

This is the second time that such an incident is taking place at the same junction. In November 2015, the road caved in at the Madhya Kailash signal due to heavy rains and floods.

Also read: Madras high court orders Tamil Nadu govt to take action against illegal toll collection

In January last year, a 10-foot crater appeared on Anna Salai, Chennai’s arterial road. The road caved in near the DMS junction along the construction for CMRL.

The managing director of CMRL had then said that the cause for the mishap could be ascertained only after examining the spot.