18-year-old dies after falling from 68th floor of George Town building

A teenager was found dead after falling from the 68th floor of the Komtar Tower in George Town, Penang, on Friday (June 24).

According to the Malay Mail, he was identified as an 18-year-old from the Macallum area found on the podium roof on the building's sixth level.

The Star Reported that he had a wristband to enter the skywalk rooftop area on the 68th floor of the tower, indicating he may have gone up there before the incident.

Firefighters had received an emergency call at about 4.15pm and arrived at the scene eight minutes later.

"The victim was brought down using ropes and a stretcher as the roof was inaccessible by conventional means," said Penang Fire and Rescue Department Zone 1 chief Jamil Abdullah.

"The retrieval was made more difficult as the roof surface was slippery after the rain, requiring firefighters to exercise extra caution throughout the operation."

The Malay Mail reported that police received a report about the incident from a member of public at about 4.05pm, and that the victim was pronounced dead on the scene.

A preliminary investigation found no signs of foul play.

“The victim sustained severe head and bodily injuries consistent with the impact of a fall from a height,” Timur Laut police chief Abdul Rozak Muhammad said, according to Free Malaysia Today.

[[nid:741098]]

drimac@asiaone.com