KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — A crane being used to build a new condominium project of over 30 storeys in the leafy neighbourhood of Taman Desa here crashed this afternoon into an adjacent condominium compound.
Taman Desa resident M. Gunasekar said the crane operating at The Address project site toppled at 2.03pm, with its arm falling onto a concrete structure inside the compound of Tiara Faber.
“The crane came crashing down, barely missing the cars and people underneath,” he told Malay Mail.
A spokesman for The Address project confirmed the incident.
“We are in the midst of investigating the cause of the accident,” the representative said, on condition of anonymity.
Gunasekar who is also coordinator of the Protect Taman Desa coalition claimed the incident was proof The Address developer was cutting corners on safety concerns raised by residents in its haste to complete the project.
A spokesman for the Fire and Rescue Department said they received a call about the incident at 2.31pm, with first responders arriving on scene at 4.41pm.
Subsequently eight personnel, one fire truck and one SUV from the Seputeh Fire and Rescue Department were dispatched to the scene.
It was ascertained from a fact sheet released by the Fire and Rescue Department that the crane was lifting a concrete block when it came crashing down.
The spokesman also confirmed that no casualties or injuries were reported.
Following the incident, Tiara Faber Joint Management Board Committee member Kervin Chong said they want KL City Hall (DBKL) to be more committed in ensuring that project developers abided by proper safety procedures.
“We want better commitment from City Hall to ensure that the developers met all safety, noise buffer and traffic procedures. This are matter which we have complaint to them numerous times but to no avail.
‘‘The residents of block C of our compound were shocked that the crane was only a few metres away. Such incidences should not have happened,’’ he said.
Last December, some 90 resident protested against the project, saying that their mental and physical health had suffered due to the work carried out in the project site.
It was also reported that construction was even conducted beyond 8pm, which contributed to noise pollution.
This is also the second incident of a crane related accident in Taman Desa, after a crane boom crashed and killed a person in October last year.
