GEORGE TOWN, July 26 — PDC Setia Urus Sdn Bhd (PDCSU) has confirmed that 17 lifts in Komtar, which houses the Penang State Government’s administrative offices, were forced to shut down today due to an overflow from the water tank on the 27th floor of the building.
Its chief operating officer Loi Kai Horng said that the security guard on duty detected the water overflow at 3.15am today, and the preliminary investigation revealed it originated from the water tank room.
He said that an inspection found that water had entered the lifts, prompting management to temporarily halt their operation for safety reasons.
“PDCSU technicians managed to stop the water overflow. As a result, at least 17 of the 22 lifts in Komtar were shut down, namely eight in the lower zone, six in the middle zone, and eight in the upper zone.
“As of 9.30am, only four lifts in the lower zone and one in the middle zone have been cleared for use, while all eight lifts in the upper zone are still non-operational,” he said when contacted today.
Loi said that safety inspections and tests on the affected lifts were being conducted by the PDCSU Technical Team and lift contractors to ensure they would be back in service as soon as possible.
“The safety inspection and tests of the lifts are expected to be fully completed by tomorrow,” he said adding that PDCSU would conduct a detailed investigation to determine the cause of the incident.
Meanwhile, state secretary Datuk Rosli Isa said that the State Secretary’s Office, along with state departments and agencies in the Komtar building, including the counter services, remain operational as usual.
However, he said officers and staff who are either pregnant or have health problems are given the flexibility to work from home.
Earlier, photos showing a large crowd, believed to be civil servants, gathered on the ground floor of Komtar after being unable to use the lifts to reach their offices, along with images of workers clearing water from the affected areas, went viral on social media. — Bernama
