KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — At least five people are feared trapped after scaffolding collapsed at the work site of a flyover along the Ampang-bound route of the Middle Ring-Road 2 (MRR2) this evening.
Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Department chief Assistant Commissioner Zulkifli Yahya said initial investigations revealed the incident is believed to have been caused by a lorry, one loaded with an excavator as its cargo, that crashed into the ongoing construction site.
“As a result of the collision, materials from the construction fell onto a factory van that was travelling from the direction of the city centre, with four or five passengers inside.
“The current status of the victims is still unknown. As of now, rescuers are in the process of lifting and removing the collapsed construction building materials,” Zulkifli said in a statement this evening.
He added that the police were alerted at 6.15pm to the incident, which happened along the Sungai Besi-Ulu Klang Elevated Expressway (SUKE), near Desa Tun Razak, opposite the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) in Bandar Tasik Selatan.
Earlier, the Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) said it was alerted of the emergency at 5.58 pm.
“According to the operations commander, rescuers confirmed the collapse of a bridge that is still under construction that is said to have crashed onto a factory van.
“Initial investigations showed that five people could be trapped within the factory van,” the department said in a statement.
Posts being shared on social media show collapsed scaffolding and support beams at the scene of the incident, which caused further traffic congestion during the daily rush-hour crawl.
Separately, Zulkifli earlier today confirmed the incident and had said investigators were still on site.
“The investigating officer is currently probing the incident. Bomba is currently trying to extract the victims,” he said briefly.
