Tragic landslide kills 35-year-old
Friday, 20-01-2006
There was a tragic landslide at a construction site at about 3.30pm yesterday at Taman Desa, part of my constituency. A 35-year-old man was killed and rescuers recovered the body at 6.45pm. A five-block 609- unit condo complex was planned for the site. I shall be keeping an eye on the investigation into the cause of the tragedy.
————————————————————————————————————————
Indon buried alive in landslide
KUALA LUMPUR: An Indonesian worker was killed after he was buried in a landslide at a construction site in Taman Desa here.
Dharmar, 35, from Lombok Timur, Indonesia, was engulfed by soil while he was working on some iron beam foundations.
The incident happened at 3.30pm yesterday at the site opposite the Faber Heights condominium.
Most of the workers were out on their tea break when the incident occurred. Dharmar was working alone.
His body was found at 6.50pm, entangled in twisted foundation rods after hours of digging with excavators.
Twenty-one search and rescue personnel from the Taman Desa, Hang Tuah and Taman Sentosa fire stations and a team of K9 search unit from Taman Sri Sentosa took nearly two hours to extricate his body.
Construction on a five-block apartment complex under Tenaga Nasional Properties Sdn Bhd started last month.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said she would write to the Datuk Bandar requesting him to issue a stop-work order until the developer took the necessary measures to ensure the safety of its workers and the people staying around the area.
——————————————————————————————————————————
Indon worker buried alive in landslide
An Indonesian construction worker was killed in a landslide near a construction site in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, this afternoon.
Darman (left), 35, from Lombok Timur, was found at about 6.50pm, nearly three hours after he was buried.
The deceased’s friend and fellow worker Celsend, 20, from Sabah said he was working about 100 metres from the scene when the landslide occurred.
“I heard someone screaming ‘it’s a landslide, your friend is buried’,” he told malaysiakini while waiting for rescuers to find the body.
Looking anxious, he said he knew Darman for several years as they had worked together at a construction site in Shah Alam.
“He has been working in Malaysia for several years,” Celsend added.
A site supervisor who only wished to be identified as Din said the project at the site is for the Bukit Tenaga apartment.
“We are building 200 units. The contractor is Peter’s Construction. The project is scheduled for completion in 2007,” he told reporters.
Happened suddenly
Din revealed that over 30 workers, mostly Indonesians, are working at the site.
Denying any negligence for the mishap, he said, “we have the necessary safety measures here but the landslide happened all of a sudden”.
Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operation) Md Ali Ismail (left) who led the rescue team of 21 personnel reasoned that the landslide probably occurred because the hill slope was cut at too narrow an angle.
He said the police will have to investigate whether the landslide was due to negligence.
Meanwhile, Seputeh parliamentarian Teresa Kok urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall to issue a stop-work order at the site until steps are in place to prevent such a tragedy from recurring.
“I understand that there was another landslide near this construction site three months ago,” she said after witnessing rescue work in the area which is part of her constituency.
Dear Teresa,
No human lives should be lost in any construction work. I hope there is no foul play or negligent. I hope that your letter will be well received and appropriate action will be taken.
Then again, our construction industry have been described as having many unhealthy practices (there was an article in the papers last month)
Solving the mystery (if any) in one case cannot address the shortcoming of an entire industry. Still, a small step is better than none at all.
There were some accusations that you take only Chinese complains. Well the 3 Malay female and this Indonesian case shows that you are truly colour blind. I apologise for being racist here but since almost every discussion in Malaysia may suggest racial tones, I have to blend in. Ultimately, this country should be benefit all and no one should lose out.
Comment by lee wee tak_ — Friday, 20-01-2006 @ 09: 27.49
This is one of at least four developments that are taking place on hill slopes in Taman Desa. In one of them, a 52-unit townhouse development next to Faber Ria, a construction worker was killed and a few others injured sometime in late 2004 when a concrete slab collapsed. The development was approved by City Hall earlier despite protests from neighbouring residents, including those below the slope who were later affected by a landslip at the construction site.
When it comes to such matters, who are the authorities in charge or implicated? What roles to they play? What laws are they governed by?
Is there a website or blog for such information to be out there so that the people can take it upon themselves to exercise their right to hold the authorities accountable without having to trouble their parliamentary representative? Because contrary to popular belief, an MP’s job is not to help us clear our longkang or rubbish collection, but to make preserve the spirit of our Constitution and make just laws to ensure the system works for the people.
Thanks, Teresa, for keeping an eye on this anyway and for all the work you’ve been doing for the constituency as well as police reform, women’s rights and press freedom. You got my vote!
Comment by Sieweng — Friday, 20-01-2006 @ 09: 34.17
I have been working in Semiconductor Industry for almost 17 years and I can tell you this is one industry where you will find very systematic way to approach any issues or problem whether Quality or Accident.
ISO, QS, TS, Standard Operating Procedure, Process Specification, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, 8-Discipline Approach and so many others tools which are used to establish a process or solving a problem.
If only the relevant Authority or any Government Department can learn from us!
For your information, if we hurt ourself during work, eventhough only some scratches on hand and few drop of blood, an Accident Report must be written and also submitted to Plant Manager and Permanent Corrective Action will definitely be in place to Prevent Recurrence.
Comment by Patrick Peh — Sunday, 22-01-2006 @ 00: 51.40