Yet another under-construction condo collapse

A portion of a high-rise building under-construction in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur collapsed this afternoon.

At the time of writing, preliminary reports from rescuers suggest that several individuals may be trapped in the debris.

Properties and real-estate publication EdgeProp reported that the building is known as "The Address", developed by Maxim Holdings Sdn Bhd.

If completed, The Address will have three towers with 30-storeys each over a narrow strip of land which was once Tenaga Nasional Bhd reserve land.

Taman Desa residents had once mounted a fierce campaign against the project because the reserve land was designated as a green lung under the Kuala Lumpur Master Plan 2020.

However, their protest was not heeded and their lawsuits against Kuala Lumpur City Hall were not successful.

This is the second time a partially built condominium in Kuala Lumpur has collapsed over the past year.

On June 25 last year, "The Pinnacle" in Sri Petaling saw a similar fate with the corridor of one level giving way.

The Fire and Rescue Department later confirmed that the building had collapsed from the sixth floor down to the first floor.

They said they found two victims trapped under the debris but have managed to extricate both.

The first is a Bangladesh man, 37, who was transferred to the Hospital Kuala Lumpur to receive treatment in the red zone (critical zone).

Meanwhile, the second victim has just been removed from the first level of the collapsed building.

The Fire and Rescue Department said they are currently cooperating with the police and the Department of Occupational Safety and Hazard (Dosh) to evaluate the area around the building to confirm the number of victims involved.

So far, the second victim removed from the collapsed building is the last individual involved.

“The firefighters were having some difficulty in saving the victim because of the building’s unstable condition.

"The victims are in a stable condition and have been sent to the hospital for further action,” said the Fire and Rescue Department in a statement tonight.

Earlier, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin (photo, below) visited the site of the incident where she was briefed on the situation.

- Mkini