Eight shops collapse in Sibu; rescuers confirm no casualties

 

A row of eight shop houses collapsed in Jalan Pahlawan, Sungai Merah, early this morning. — PIC BY FIRE AND RESCUE DEPT

SIBU: A row of eight shop houses collapsed in Jalan Pahlawan, Sungai Merah, early this morning.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department operations centre received an emergency call at 2.46am, after which a team from the Sungai Merah fire station was dispatched to the scene.

A department spokesman said the team arrived at the location, situated 5km from the station, at 2.52am.

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"An initial inspection conducted with the police confirmed that the collapse involved a row of eight shop units.

"Search operations were immediately launched due to concerns that individuals might be trapped under the debris," he said.

Police also contacted the owners of the affected premises to verify that no one was inside at the time of the incident. Rescuers conducted a secondary sweep of the surrounding rubble to ensure no victims were pinned beneath the structure.

A comprehensive check later confirmed there were no casualties, and the situation at the site was deemed safe and under control.

"The operation ended at 3.50am. The cause of the incident and the estimated losses are still under investigation," the spokesman said. - NST