GEORGE TOWN, Nov 29 — The search and rescue for four Bangladeshi workers feared buried under the rubble of a collapsed construction site was called off after they were found safe and unharmed at another location in Bayan Lepas.
Penang deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad said the four were at the site when the building collapsed but they ran away immediately after the incident.
He said the four men were found in the Bayan Lepas vicinity at about 4pm and were detained.
“We have recorded their statements after detaining them,” he told reporters at the site today.
He said they managed to trace the four foreign workers through the CCTV recording at the site.
“The CCTV recording revealed that at 9.06pm, all of the workers were at the location, and it showed them running away when the structure collapsed,” he said.
He said the four were believed to have run away because they do not have work permits.
The search and rescue operations, which was launched at 10.30pm last night, was called off at 6.30pm today.
Mohamed Usuf said they used five elements to ensure there are no other victims underneath the rubble.
“We used CSI, the K-9 unit, drone, dug the whole area and was assisted by the special tactical operation and rescue teams so we are satisfied that there are no other victims at the site,” he said.
As it stands, the total victims in the incident are the three who died yesterday and two who are being treated at the Penang Hospital.
He said police will investigate the incident under sudden death report (SDR).
“However, investigations on site will be conducted by the fire and rescue department, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh),” he said.
He said findings from the agencies will be handed to the police and if there are other elements involved, the case may be reclassified from SDR to the relevant sections.
Meanwhile, Deputy state Fire and Rescue Department director Fire Assistant Commissioner Zulfahmi Sutaji said the officers from the Bayan Lepas station will remain on site temporarily.
“Even though the search and rescue operations were called off, we have to be on standby at the site,” he said.
He said there were no further incidents, but they hoped there will not be any more incidents.
“After this, we will hand over the site to the relevant agencies for further investigations,” he said.
Last night, at about 9.48pm, a beam at the construction site of a logistics warehouse in Bayan Lepas fell, causing the collapse of 14 other beams at the site, crashing down on workers at the site.
During the incident, the workers were pouring cement on the first floor of the structure which was 18m above ground.
Two of the workers were found dead at the site, one died on the way to the hospital and two were seriously injured.
Search and rescue operations commenced for the four workers at about 10.30pm last night when they were nowhere in sight and initially believed to be buried underneath the rubble.
There were nine other workers who had gone for prayers during the incident and had escaped unscathed.
All of the workers are Bangladeshis aged between 22 and 46 years old.
