GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has ordered an immediate halt to condominium construction and roadworks on a hillside near the site of a landslide that claimed a man’s life in Taman Seri Rambai, Paya Terubong, here today.
MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran said the stop-work order was issued to facilitate further investigations into the incident.
“The road and condominium projects have been ongoing for more than a year, while slope stabilisation works are also being carried out in the area.
“So far, we have recommended that the occupants of six houses identified as potentially unsafe relocate temporarily to prevent any untoward incidents,” he told reporters at the scene today.
The landslide occurred at about 8.36am, trapping Wong Kar Lin, 73, a doctor, in his house. Rescuers recovered his body at about 11.20am.
The victim’s wife, Chang Mei Nuo, 68, and his mother-in-law, Wong Poh Lim, who is in her 80s, managed to escape shortly after the incident.
Meanwhile, State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said slope stabilisation works were being carried out in the area, but some sections had yet to be completed when the landslide occurred.
He said the immediate priority was to ensure the safety of nearby residents while allowing the relevant authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.
“Unfortunately, the section that had yet to be completed was the one affected by the landslide. Further investigations are ongoing before more detailed information can be provided,” he said.