Jaya Supermarket collapsed

PETALING JAYA: 1:15am: One of the six construction workers trapped in the rubble of once popular Jaya shopping centre in Section 14, Petaling Jaya that collapsed yesterday evening somehow survived, and even managed to call his employer, pleading to be rescued. The worker was lucky as the disaster killed three fellow workers and badly injured two others. The unidentified worker is also trapped with four others whose fate is yet unknown. Rescuers ascertained a second body under the rubble after repeated calls to his handphone was chillingly unanswered.The building, which was about to be demolished at 6pm, crumbled suddenly just as nine workers were loading scaffolding at the site in the 4.45pm incident. Workers involved in the mishap are all Indonesians.

The dead has been identified only as Maskor, 28, while the two injured are Sale, 48, and Suryano, 32. It is learnt that Maskor was Suryano’s younger brother. The injured were despatched to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.

A Petaling Jaya City Hall official said the incident was unfortunate for the nine workers as the demolishing of the building was only going to take place after 6pm.

A spokesman from the demolition company said the structure of that part of the four-storey building which collapsed was unbonded, while the undamaged part was bonded.

Petaling Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Arjunaidi Mohamed said search and rescue operation would continue until the six workers are found.

Fifty workers were at the site in different sections when the incident occurred. Apart from the one dead, two injured and six trapped, the others were unharmed.

About 100 personnel from police, fire and rescue department were at the scene yesterday. Police had cordoned off the site and traffic had been diverted.

Firemen were studying the building plans at 8pm to find out how they could get to the six workers who were still trapped.

The SMART team was also deployed to the scene. At 9pm, firemen and the team entered the site again to search for the bodies after it was deemed safe.

Three excavators were seen on the top of the debris after the building collapsed.

Police said the rescue operation might take a day or more. (NST)