Part of Jaya Supermarket Collapses, Workers trapped, one dead
News has been streaming in via twitter and the online news websites. Part of Jaya Supermarket, a prominent landmark in Section 14 of Petaling Jaya, collapsed earlier this afternoon during demolition works. At least five construction workers are still trapped, with two having been rescued. One body has been recovered.
According to the latest on the Star’s website,
A resident living nearby said he heard trapped workers shouting “Tolong, tolong (Help, help)” for a while, but there now was only silence.
More than 100 rescue workers are on the scene. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Soiman Jahid said rescue workers pulled out the first worker at 5:45pm, followed by the second at 6pm.
Both were rushed to Universiti Hospital where they are reportedly in stable condition. Other workers are being examined by several medics on the scene.
At 6:44pm, rescuers pulled out a body of a construction worker, the first confirmed fatality, Soiman said.
“We believe that five more workers are still trapped under the debris, and we’re using tracker dogs to try and trace them,” he said.
The building has six-storeys, including the basement. Most of the workers were on the ground and third floors when the incident, whose cause is currently unknown, occurred.
The collapsed part is at the back of the building. About one-quarter of the building has collapsed, observers say.
At one stage, the remaining part of the building was teetering dangerously, reporters on the scene said, with bits and pieces still falling off.
