KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — A steel beam collapsed on the third floor of a factory under construction in Rawang today, killing one migrant worker and injuring four others.

The dead worker has been identified as an 18-year-old Indonesian while the injured were an Indonesian, two Bangladeshis and one whose identity had yet to be established, all of them aged between 20 and 35.

A spokesman of the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department said the accident happened at the Bukit Beruntung Industrial Estate at about 10 am when the five workers were resting during a break.

“The department was alerted at 10.28 am and rushed 20 personnel from the Kuala Kubu Baru fire and rescue station to the location,” he said.

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Hulu Selangor District Police chief Supt Lim Bak Phai, when contacted, confirmed the accident.

Lim said the dead worker was recovered from under the fallen beam. The four other workers were slightly injured, he added.

The body was sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital, he said, adding that the injured workers were also sent to the same hospital.

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“A preliminary investigation revealed that the accident took place at a factory under construction for the manufacture of automotive goods.

“The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the police and the engineer of the Hulu Selangor District Council,” he said.

Meanwhile, a Bangladeshi worker named Zuber, in his 20s, said a strong wind at that time might have caused the steel beam to collapse.

“They (the dead and injured workers) could not flee in time as they were unaware that the beam had dislodged from the structure,” he said to Bernama at the location.

Another worker, who identified himself as Mausm, 29, said many of the workers were having breakfast at that time at the canteen.

“The canteen operator summoned the ambulance. It was fortunate that many of us were in the canteen otherwise many workers would have been injured,” he said.

Bernama learned that the project developer was conducting checks and prohibited reporters from gathering information or taking photographs. — Bernama