PUTRAJAYA, Jan 30 — Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad today said that a stop work order has been issued to Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld), after a construction mishap where Pudu Jail was formerly located.

He said he had inspected the site of the Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) project with officers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) after the incident.

"After it had happened, we did do an inspection with NIOSH and DOSH, and we have also stopped the construction work at that area until they repair and abide by all the order and necessary safety guidelines.

"Sometimes, during construction, we would have already set the rules and they (developers) follow, but as construction goes on, things become slack, and we have to place a representative at the site for 24 hours,” Khalid told a press conference.

EcoWorld yesterday confirmed that there was a "localised failure of a slab” last Friday at the BBCC project site.

The company was commenting on several photos spread via social media, showing a structural collapse allegedly at the project site in Kuala Lumpur.

EcoWorld said the incident occurred at 8.23pm on January 25, noting that it went ahead to clear the affected area today after getting the green light from the authorities to do so.

No injuries were reported.

The RM8.7 billion BBCC project sits on 19.4 acres of land where the now-demolished Pudu Jail was located, with an expected gross built-up area of 6.7 million square feet. Only the main gate of the Pudu Jail has been preserved at the site.

EcoWorld, which is listed as the project’s development manager, is in a joint venture with UDA Holdings Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

According to news reports, the BBCC development’s masterplan includes a shopping mall, an entertainment hub, four serviced apartments towers, a lifestyle hotel, three office blocks, and an 80-storey signature tower that will feature offices, luxury residences and a five-star hotel.