No victims found after Melaka shophouse collapse as four workers escape safely; authorities warn public over further collapse risks
MELAKA: The Melaka Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) has confirmed that no one was trapped in the collapse of a two-storey shophouse that was undergoing renovation in Taman Kota Laksamana yesterday, following a search operation and verification with the relevant agencies.
Melaka JBPM director Mohd Zaidi Ma’at said the confirmation was based on inspections and search operations conducted by firefighters at the scene, as well as investigations carried out jointly with the police, the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) and the building owner.
“The fire and rescue team conducted a search at the collapse site and found that no victims were involved in the building collapse.
“Joint investigations with witnesses and the building owner found that four workers — three Bangladeshi men in their 30s and a Rohingya man in his 40s — were believed to have escaped unharmed, and no one was trapped,” he said in a statement today.
He said the collapse of the 30-by-80-foot shophouse also crushed two vehicles parked nearby — a Toyota Vios and a Proton Iriz.
Upon confirming that the site was safe and posed no further danger to the public, the fire department ended its operation at 11.18 pm and handed the site over to MBMB for further action, he added.
MBMB has issued a public notice prohibiting members of the public from approaching the area, crossing the safety cordon or entering the building with immediate effect.
According to the notice, the prohibition was imposed to safeguard public safety due to the risk of further collapse, falling debris and other hazards that could result in injury or loss of life.
Earlier, the media reported that the two-storey shophouse, believed to have been undergoing renovation, collapsed at about 4.45 pm, followed by a second, larger collapse at 5.23 pm.
