Monday, Oct 22, 2012
MALAYSIA'S Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof was reading a newspaper on Thursday morning when he heard a crash.
Hetold The Star: "I went out and saw a concrete slab hanging from the top floor of a house. When I heard people screaming for help, I immediately called the authorities."
Two Indonesian workers were killed and four others injured after a concrete slab collapsed at a bungalow under renovation in Shah Alam.
Several workers were removing a scaffolding when the upper portion of the house collapsed, burying them under rubbleand the roof slab.
One died on the spot while the other, who lost a leg, died in hospital later.
Ten other workerson the site escaped unhurt.
The RM4 million house (S$1.6 million) house belongs to a businessman and an additional room on the upper floor was being added, The New Straits Times reported.
Bangladeshi worker Mohamad Salam,who was locking up another house 10m away, said he heard the crash, followed by voices crying out for help.
The 22-year-old said: "I saw the upper floor slide down and immediately ran to the house. One worker pulled himself out of the rubble and I helped to pull out two other workers."
A building contractor, who wanted to be known only asMr Lim, said he was doing renovation work on a house next to the bungalowwhenhe heard a loud noise andpeople screaming.
He said: "I ran out and was shocked to see that the roof had collapsed. I saw workers drag themselves out of the rubble, but there were otherswhowere trapped."
Fire and Rescue Department personnel used heavy machinery to clear the rubble and managed to rescue the victims.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department chief Othman Abdullah said 50 firemen were involved in the rescue mission.
Shah Alam Assistant Commissioner Zahedi Ayob said the victims were taken to the Hospital Tengku AmpuanRahimah in Klang.
Meanwhile, Shah Alam City Council mayor Mohd Jaafar Mohd Atan said the owner did not apply for approval to build an extension to the house, The Star reported.
He said after visiting the site yesterday: "The extension that collapsed was not part of the original structure. So far, no plan has been submitted to the council as of today."
Asked about the cause of the collapse, the mayor said they would need to compile reports from various authorities, including the police and the Fire and Rescue Department before comingto a conclusion.
But the owner of the bungalow said he had asked the contractor responsible for renovations to arrange for approval from the council.
He said that as far as he knew, the contractor had submitted an application at the end of last year.
