OLD SUPERMARKET COLLAPSES: TWO KILLED, TWO RESCUED, FIVE TRAPPED

PETALING JAYA (Malaysia), May 29 (Bernama) -- Part of the building which
once housed the popular Jaya Supermarket here collapsed Thursday evening during
demolition work, killing two of nine workers trapped in the rubble.

Two of them were rescued and sent to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre
(UMMC), Petaling Jaya OCPD, ACP Arjunaidi Mohamad said.

All the nine victims of the 5pm incident are Indonesian workers who were on
the ground floor of the four-storey building at the time of the incident.

The search and rescue team had identified the location of the five workers
still trapped, and at 11.30pm, was still trying to get them out of the rubble.

The first dead victim, known as Maskor, 28, was brought out of the rubble at
about 6.50pm and the second who was still unidentified, at 10.20pm.

Arjunaidi said firemen used a skylift to assess the safety level of the
affected building before the search and rescue team could enter it.

Among those involved in the operation are 50 policemen, Fire and Rescue
Department personnel (30), SMART (15), Civil Defence Department (30) and Rela
(30), he said.

The road in front of the collapsed building was closed to traffic to
facilitate the search and rescue operation.

UMMC deputy director (Professional) Prof Dr Jamiyah Hassan said the injured
victims were Maskor's brother Suryano, 32, and Sale, 48. They are in stable
condition.

Dr Jamiyah said 45 paramedics from three hospitals - UMMC, Sungai Buloh
Hospital and Kuala Lumpur Hospital - were at the scene of the incident to
provide medical assistance.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Lajim Ukin said the initial
investigation indicated that the structure might have collapsed due to
overloading as heavy machinery were used in the demolition work.

Eyewitness Syed Mohammad Aidid Syed Ahmad Aidid said he heard a loud roar
like that of thunder while driving past the area.

"I saw dust rising in the air and pieces of stone came crashing down on my
car like a hailstorm," he told Bernama.
-- BERNAMA