Jambatan Kedua: Chronology of the bridge collapse

KUALA LUMPUR: A portion of the still under-construction Second Penang Bridge collapsed at about 7pm on Thursday. The incident happened in the section aboveland at Batu Maung.

The following is the chronology of the incident and play-by-play recount of the search and rescue efforts by the Fire and Rescue Department over the past two days:

Thursday, June 6, 2013

6.50 pm: A 30m stretch of an entry ramp leading to the Second Penang Bridge collapses

7.15 pm : The authorities receive the first reports of the collapse

9.05 pm: A Perodua Kelisa is confirmed to have been buried beneath the rubble. The number of trapped victims was still unacertained

9.30 pm: It was understood that two females in a Perodua Myvi nearly became victims but managed to escape with minor injuries

11.30 pm: A crane as heavy as 300 tonne is used in the operation involving 110 rescue personnel

11.35 pm: The fire and rescue department confirms that one body was sighted

11.40 pm: Police confirms that three victims were injured

11.45 pm: Police denies earlier reports that four individuals had died from the incident

Friday, June 7 2013

3.05 am : Operations to cut through the heavy concrete slab begins to reach to the victim(s)

5.30 am : Authorities still unable to remove the trapped body

8.00 am : Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) said that it will pay a compensation of RM10,000 to each person who were victims of the collapse

8.05 am : JKSB explains that the metal supports for the bridge is believed to be the cause of the collapse

12:10 pm: Police admits that the operation to extricate the body from the ruins was difficult

12.15 pm: Police announces that the victim can be removed latest by Friday night

2.00 pm : UEM Builders Bhd today explained that the company was not the main contractor for the Second Penang Bridge

2.10 pm : Police confirms the identity of the owner of the Perodua Kelisa crushed under the collapsed structure

5.00pm: Preliminary investigation by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) shows that the form work failure may have been the cause of the collapse

9.00 pm : Rescue team managed to pull the victim out from the rubbles after more than 24 hours of search and rescue operation.


- ASTRO AWANI