Three Chinese nationals died this morning when a crane fell nearly 40 meters from a highway under construction onto a car in the Cheras district, the second fatal accident there this month.
The three killed, all construction workers, were among at least seven people harmed when the crane fell at about 8am from the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway, or SUKE construction site, at Persiaran Alam Damai, according to rescue personnel. Two of the workers were in the crane; the third was below on the ground.
“Three people have died, the driver of the car was gravely injured and sent to the hospital, while two others are safe,” Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department chief Nordin Pauzi told reporters this afternoon.
As of Monday afternoon, rescue workers were trying to extract another victim buried under the debris.
Nine firefighters could be seen pulling the driver from his badly crushed Perodua Bezza onto a stretcher. The driver of the car, identified as a Malaysian man, was taken to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, or HUKM, for treatment.
Police spokesperson Mohamed Mokhsein said the cause was under investigation.
“The bodies we have retrieved have been sent to HUKM for post-mortem,” he said.
It was the second deadly accident involving the 32-kilometer SUKE highway this month. The highway, which was said to be 87% complete last month, is expected to connect with most parts of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
Earlier this month, two women were killed and another three people seriously injured by scaffolding which collapsed after being hit by a trailer carrying heavy machinery.
Other stories to check out:
Driver in fatal Malaysian highway collapse was on meth: Police
Minister who fell off bike in Kuala Langat tells authorities to fix potholes faster
