Two Indonesian workers crushed to death at Johor Baru site after floor collapse

JOHOR BARU - Two Indonesian workers were killed while doing repair works at a yet-to-be complete building at a construction site in Taman Gaya here when part of the floor collapsed on Saturday afternoon.

Johor Baru (South) police chief Assistant Commisioner Zainuddin Yaacob identified the deceased as Aripen, 24, and Asmawi, 27.

Zainuddin said the incident had occurred between 3pm and 3.30pm. "Preliminary investigations revealed that the site supervisor Albert Lee had noticed a crack on the beam run below the ground floor level of the building, and the two workers were tasked to repair the damage.

"The concrete floor which was still wet then collapsed, sending the two workers plunging to Basement One of the building. "The two victims were then buried under the rubble," Zainuddin said.

He added that the iron staging may have given way. A total of 24 firemen from Taman Johor Jaya and Johor Baru were despatched to the scene after receiving a distress call at 3.50pm. State Fire and rescue Department operations chief, Abd Rahman Ismail said rescue work was hampered by the hardened cement and steel piles at the construction site.

Abd Rahman said Asmawi's body, which was pulled from the rubble at 9.15am, was immediately sent to the Sultan Ismail Hospital for a post-mortem. Aripen's body was found at 12.45am today.

Abd Rahman said the department has launched a probe on the incident.