Neither heavy rain nor a landslide triggered the partial collapse of an under-construction condominium in Taman Desa on Friday.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad said preliminary reports had confirmed this.
“There is a large possibility that (the collapse was due to) structural (failures). But that has to be gauged with a more detailed study.”
He said authorities will be investigating whether foundation issues were a factor and determine if the building’s columns and beams lacked strength.
Khalid said the project’s contractors had also appointed their own civil structure consultant to survey the site.
The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh) is also conducting its investigations.
“We will wait for this and in the meantime, (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) DBKL will also do our investigations.”
Part of the 37-storey condominium project collapsed during heavy rain in Taman Desa, off Jalan Klang Lama, yesterday.
Those living in the vicinity of the project alerted the authorities after hearing a loud crash.
The building, known as “The Address”, collapsed from the sixth floor down to the first floor, trapping two workers, who were later rescued.
The first victim, aged 30, was found among the debris on the first floor of the building at 5.15pm, while the second, aged 26, was pulled out from the rubble at 9.30pm.
The two workers, believed to be from Bangladesh, were working when a large portion of the sixth floor of the building came tumbling down at 3.30pm.
Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said following the incident, a stop-work order was issued with immediate effect, pending investigation by Dosh.
“I will also coordinate with the Federal Territories Minister (Khalid Abdul Samad) to find out whether the construction of the condominium was being carried out through the right process and according to specifications,” they reported her saying yesterday after visiting the scene.
Zuraida said the findings of the investigation are expected to be known in a month’s time.
Meanwhile, the building developer Maxim Holdings Sdn Bhd assured it will ensure the two rescued workers would be provided with all the required medical treatment.
In a statement online, it further said the company was “committed to ensuring the highest of building standard and the integrity of the development is of prime importance.”
The Address, a 202-unit, low-density residential project on a rise next to a public school, began construction at the end of 2017.
It has faced considerable resistance from Taman Desa residents who complained of noise pollution and of the developer ignoring construction conditions set by the DBKL.