Three killed, three injured after crane falls on car

KUALA LUMPUR: Driving near or under any construction site is always a risky affair. Most times, no untoward incidents happen. But when accidents do happen as they have in the past, it throws the limelight yet again on the hazards that motorists face when in such situations.

In the latest incident today, three construction workers were killed while two are believed to be seriously injured after a crane fell on top of a car at a construction site of a highway at Puncak Banyan, Persiaran Alam Damai here.

The driver of the car - a Malaysian - was severely injured. The three found alive have been rescued and hospitalised.

"We received a call on the incident at 8.45am and 25 firemen from Cheras, Tun Razak and Hang Tuah were deployed to the scene,"said a Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department spokesman.

Following the latest tragedy, Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said in future the road or lane near any worksite must be closed to all traffic if a heavy structure needs to be removed in implementing road or highway construction projects.


“In the implementation of such a project, if for example, you want to move the gantry launcher, the road needs to be closed. Once the structure has been safely (moved), only then can you reopen the route,” he told reporters here today.

This is the second incident involving the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) this year, as five people were trapped in a factory van travelling on the MRR2 Highway near Bandar Tasik Selatan on March 3 when a portion of a bridge under construction fell on it at around 5.58pm after it was hit by a trailer carrying heavy machinery.

In the previous incident involving the factory van, two women were killed while another three people were seriously injured.

Following the previous incident, Projek Lintasan Sungai Besi-Ulu Klang Sdn Bhd confirmed that the trailer that hit scaffolding belonging to the SUKE construction site was a private vehicle and was not involved in or affiliated with the construction of the highway in any way.