GEORGE TOWN, June 28 — The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has issued a stop-work order to the owner of Lost Paradise Resort for any further activity at a retaining wall that collapsed and killed four people this week.
MBPP Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the order was issued yesterday.
“We have also lodged a police report for the police to investigate the incident three days ago,” he told a press conference at the City Hall after chairing a full council meeting here.
The MBPP notice to the landowner of the resort along Jalan Batu Ferringhi was issued under Section 70A of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 for earthworks.
It stated that the construction works conducted within the hotel compound was done without approval by the MBPP and that the landowner must immediately stop all activity at the site to ensure it was safe and not hazardous to people, the environment, and surrounding property.
The landowner was also ordered to hoard up the area around the site of the collapse immediately.
Finally, the landowner was required to submit plans for remedial works and a method statement on the proposed repairs through a registered consultant engineer within 30 days from the date of the notice.
The landowner was also reminded that all works must be conducted with approval from the council and that the local authority reserved the right to conduct any works on the site for public safety and all costs will be billed to the landowner.
The retaining wall, which was being constructed illegally on a slope between the resort grounds and the main road above it, collapsed on Tuesday night and killed four Myanma workers.
The bodies of the workers were recovered from the rubble after about six hours of search and rescue operations by the Fire and Rescue Department, Special Tactical Operations Rescue team, police and the Civil Defence Department.
Today, Yew said the one lane on Jalan Batu Ferringhi was still closed to traffic to allow for mitigation and repair works of about 50m of the road that was damaged due to the collapse.
He said the council is still working with the Road Transport Department (RTD) on the mitigation works to the road and slope.
