GEORGE TOWN, 21 Oct 2017:
Three people are dead, one injured while 10 others are feared still buried in a landslide at a construction site in Lengkok Lembah Permai, Tanjung Bungah, here today.
The bodies of two of the victims were found at 10am and the rescuers are still trying to extricate the body of another victim that had been found. The injured victim was sent to the Penang Hospital.
“The bodies of two Indonesians were found at 10am,” said Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Saadon Moktar.
The victims’ identities have not been ascertained.
As at 2pm, the search and rescue (SAR) operations are still under way.
The landslide at the construction site of the affordable housing project reportedly occurred at 8.57am and believed to be involving 14 victims.
Saadon said one of the victims was believed to be a local while the others were Indonesians, Rohingyas and Bangladeshis.
He said the SAR operations involved three zones on an area of 15 sqm and it was expected to take time as all the victims were buried deep under the clay soil and there was possibility of another landslide.
“The steep slope makes it quite difficult to dig the ground…some of the areas are considered unsafe.”
Saadon said the victims were working on the basement part of the building when the mishap happened. “The collapsed area was the basement space.”
Penang City Council mayor Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif said the council had issued a stop work order for the project.
“We are waiting for the report from the engineer to know the exact cause of the incident.”
The incident happened so fast, about only one minute and all the workers were feared buried underneath, said a Bangladeshi construction worker who survived the landslide.
“During the incident I was installing iron rods and was about to get them when I saw the ground up there collapsed with a loud thud.
“One minute only, fast…my friends, about eight of them below did not manage to flee. Not sure if they are alive or dead,” said Mohammad Jashim Hussein Ahmad, 27.
According to a report by the Fire and Rescue Department and police, the landslide involved a building construction site with a hill slope of about 10m.
Members of the public were also seen gathering around the scene of the incident and police had placed security lines about 100m from the landslide location to prevent anyone from entering the area.
– Bernama