GEORGE TOWN, Nov 29 — The Fire and Rescue Department mentioned as we speak it has to change methods for the fourth time to shift a 33-tonne beam that’s hampering works to get well 4 victims trapped underneath the rubble of a collapsed warehouse building web site in Bayan Lepas right here.
Its deputy state director Fire Assistant Commissioner Zulfahmi Sutaji mentioned the division has tried thrice to shift the beam to no avail as it’s interlocked with different elements and particles on the location.
“I’m getting into after this for the fourth attempt to shift it in order that rescuers can safely proceed with the search and restoration works for the remaining victims,” he advised reporters outdoors the location as we speak.
He mentioned the 33-tonne beam was the one which fell final evening, triggering the collapse of quite a few different beams.
In the 9.48pm incident final evening, the beam fell and introduced down 14 different beams together with the 9 employees who had been engaged on the primary degree of the construction 18 metres above floor degree.
Last evening, two employees had been discovered useless on the scene, one died on the way in which to the hospital and two had been significantly injured.
“The search space shouldn’t be massive, it’s concerning the measurement of a volleyball courtroom,” Zulfahmi mentioned.
A volleyball courtroom is eighteen metres lengthy and 9 metres vast.
Deputy state Fire and Rescue Department director Fire Assistant Commissioner Zulfahmi Sutaji displaying the location of the collapse. — Picture courtesy of Fire And Rescue Department
He mentioned initially, that they had anticipated search and rescue works to be simple however after assessing the state of affairs, they realised that the collapse had prompted varied elements of the construction together with moist cement to be unstable.
“The cement has hardened after 12 hours however it’s nonetheless porous, and never compact, so after we pull on one half, it’ll trigger one other part to shift,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the 4 victims are believed to be trapped beneath the hardened concrete as they had been believed to be mixing the cement when the incident occurred final evening.
“The marketing consultant engineer of the venture can be helping us on this,” he mentioned.
When requested if restoration works might be accomplished by as we speak, he mentioned hopefully.
He mentioned the present sizzling climate is nice for the work to proceed easily.
He mentioned the Okay-9 unit is on standby at present and the particular tactical operation and rescue groups from Penang, Perak and Kedah are additionally current to help within the search and restoration efforts.
All of the victims are Bangladeshi employees aged between 22 and 46 years outdated.
