MORE PICS & Video – Greed & Negligence? – 8 Beams Collapsed; New Overpass - Kajang -Seremban Highway; Sep 27 07; Main Con – IJM & Sub-Con WCT ENGINEER
The following STAR report is rather misleading. How can a beam be laid without support? Compare also to Samy's Bernama Story (which is more likely). A more accurate guess and description is that when this last beam was dangling on the crane to be positioned, the negligence and careless of the crane operator with the direction for those above cause it fall pulling the rest which are connected by cables (not wires! Samy)
And Samy's ridiculous directive for the DG to be at site to "assess the situation". What to assess if the evidence has been taken away in clearing the highway? Wonder if any crucial photos were taken foe investigations before the beams were cut away
Beam laid without support claim
“As all the beams were connected by wires, when this particular beam collapsed, it brought down all the other beams,” he said, adding that the contractor would be punished for it. “I have instructed the director-general to be at the site to assess the situation,” said Samy Vellu. A full report is expected from the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) tomorrow. On Thursday, eight beams of the flyover collapsed, narrowly missing a motorist and his aged parents. The concrete beams, each measuring 40m in length, weighed 70 tonnes.
ABOVE: Workers busy clearing the debris and fallen beams near Nilai where eight beams for a flyover construction came crashing down on Thursday. Is it open for traffic?
“We have built many flyovers but this is the first time such a thing has happened. I have contacted the concessionaire and asked how it could have happened. “Action must be taken against those responsible,” Samy Vellu told reporters here yesterday. Samy Vellu said the type of action to be taken would be discussed by his ministry after studying the MHA’s report. “The report will also be presented to the Cabinet,” he said.
= == == = =now anothr story from Bernama
Those Responsible For Flyover Beams Collapse Incident In Hot Soup
"Action must be taken on those responsible for poor supervision of their workers to the point where public safety has been endangered, as we havewitnessed," he told reporters here. Samy Vellu said the type of action to be taken would be discussed by his ministry after studying the MHA's report, expected to be ready by Tuesday. "The report will also be presented to the Cabinet," he said. Commenting on the incident which happened at 11.45pm, Samy Vellu said that based on the preliminary report from the MHA, it happened during work to align the beams but suddenly the first beam fell off and brought the others along in a "domino effect". There were no casualties in the incident but the beams, each measuring 40m in length and weighing 70 tonnes, narrowly missed a motorist and his aged parents.
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UPDATE: 30 Sep 07; 14:30pm
ABOVE: The works Minister Samy Vellu has resurfaced and commented that the Collapse is very Serious and needs further investigation to determine who is responsible. And after that, everything will be forgotten and the repeat show goes on.
ABOVE: Further pictures available showing the workers trying to determine how to cut up the collapsed beam BELOW: The cut up section left at the road side to be carted away
More pics to come......
Malaysiakini worked overtime to bring out the late news ON
CJ’s name mentioned in Lingam tape Pt 2 Beh Lih Yi | Sep 29, 07 11:36pm and missed the
Total Collapse of the By-pass under Construction
MORE PICS & Video – Greed & Negligence? – 8 Beams Collapsed Under Construction; New Overpass - Kajang-
When someone collapsed and died, he or she can be covered up and buried under 6 feet. But for an over head By-pass Bridge under construction, it was left there for everyone to see. Samy Vellu should be there to "freeze" the Collapse and ONLY after a proper investigation, can the contractor be allowed to clear away the "evidence" and salvage back any scrap metal in the beams.
Isn’t it greed to complete the job in the shortest possible time in the dead of night (11.40pm) to meet a deadline for penalty payment? Working late into the night (without proper rest) and just like the overworked express bus drivers, the crane operator under the instruction of a “walkie talkie” to shift the beam, would need only to over shift the control knob a little that will cause the beam to knock against the rest and collapse like a pack of cards. Negligence, carelessness or sheer irresponsible to do such work in the middle of night and expect "nothing" to happen.
ABOVE & BELOW: Highway closed, traffic diverted to left side
According to Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Chairman Lee Lam Thye “Contractors involved in the construction and upgrading of our roads and highways very often do not observe road safety” The inadequate and shoddy road signs, signals and markers placed at the worksites to warn motorists of hazards and dangers. Once again this collapse was waiting to happen for a reason if not again for Murphy’s Law.
ABOVE & BELOW: The fallen beams cracked and being taken away
The other factor thrown about is negligence or is it taking risk or carelessness? When things are done in a hurry caution is thrown to the winds. Or was it overload to cause cable failure to hold the beams. No proper investigation was done before the evidence is taken away by cranes.
ABOVE: The beams were not yet properly anchored (welded) and fixed when dislodged and BELOW: the debris had to be cleared off for the road to be passable
And as to placing enough warning signals and signs, why would they spend all these money if they can use them for company lunches. A flashing indicator cost hundreds of dollars and most often they get stolen overnight. And the enforcement people – one eye closed is the best mutual policy.
Well, as usual there will be this inquiry just like the Nuri Copter crash spending tens of thousands of ringgits in meetings and investigation. Praised sky-high for doing a professional job (by the DPM) in stating that it was just a pilot error and that the copter skimmed 3 times over the canopy of trees before coming down. And was there any recommendations? None. The finger has been pointed, the blame goes to the Pilot; the top brass don't get the blame; not even 1%. The show goes on and awaits the next inquiry. They could have recommended better training for the pilots (tighter procedure to ensure the Pilots are fit at all times or just a friendly advice on sleeping early before a flight) and have better weather reports before flights to overcome such problems.
ABOVE: The 1/2 past six Engineers & Supervisors discussing what went wrong in the collapse and who to blame for this mishap BELOW: The Upper part of the incomplete bypass
2007/09/29
Overpass comes crashing down
By : Ridzwan Abdullah; NST
NILAI: A matter of seconds and some quick thinking. That was what saved three members of a family from death when a section of a highway overpass under construction collapsed near Kampung Pajam, here, late Thursday. The situation could have been far worse if not for the late hour, as the trunk road is normally busy during the day. In the
ABOVE: The exposed ends of the metal bars which were supposed to be welded to the collapsed beams end BELOW: Cranes were feverishly deployed to clear the rubble
The fallen beams completely blocked the Seremban-Nilai trunk road. The fact that building executive Azmi Abdul Aziz and his parents, Abdul Aziz Sedeh, 65, and Mahani Abdul Wahab, 61, escaped was nothing short of a miracle. Azmi, 35, said he had picked up his parents from their village in Felda Pasoh in Serting earlier in the day and was driving them to his house in Kota Damansara, Selangor. As they approached the site of the incident, they saw construction workers trying to lift a beam. "That was when it happened. Suddenly, a beam landed just metres from my car, and I drove right into it. "At that point of time, my body was rooted but instincts told me to get out of there," he said when met at the Nilai police station. Like a scene from an action movie, Azmi quickly reversed his car.
"Then all the other beams began collapsing, the ground shook and the whole area was covered in dust. It felt like being in the middle of an earthquake. "Just a few more seconds and we could have been under the rubble." Azmi said moments after, he saw both his parents breathing heavily, and knew something was wrong. "My father complained of chest pains and my mother also could not breathe properly. We were in severe shock." Azmi claimed that when he got out of the car and asked for help, none of the construction workers came to his aid. "They were just staring at the rubble. "I then called the police and they despatched an ambulance, which sent us to the
All three were given outpatient treatment. Construction crew were trying to remove beams and other steelwork but as of
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Pajam-Nilai Road Closed After Incomplete Flyover Collapses
SEREMBAN, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- An incomplete flyover of the
A police spokesman said the incident happened at about
scene today, said that following the incident, the Pajam-Nilai road would be closed to all traffic for two days for cleaning and inspection.
= = = =2007/09/29
NIOSH calls for action against contractor over flyover collapse; BERNAMA via NST
He said that merely investigating the cause of the flyover collapse was insufficient, adding that what was needed was action against those responsible for the construction to impress upon them that any form of negligence cannot be tolerated. “Contractors involved in the construction and upgrading of our roads and highways very often do not observe road safety, as shown by the inadequate and shoddy road signs, signals and markers placed at the worksites to warn motorists of hazards and dangers,” he said. Lee said that sometimes road works signs and signals were not put up properly, causing confusion to motorists and resulting in danger for road users at night.“It appears to me that most road works contractors have no regard for road and public safety. It is high time the relevant authorities acted against errant road works contractors who have no regard for public safety,” he said. “Do we have to wait for more accidents, fatalities and tragedies to occur before something drastic is done to ensure that all road works contractors practise good
= = == = == == = = and where was Samy Vellu?
Too busy with meetings to fend off opposition from S Subramaniam & attacks from M Kayeaves. No STOP WORK order issue?= == = == = == = == and where was the Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn?
No deaths and not involved? Or too busy dismantling the "pigs sties" in Malacca to meet the Oc 4 deadline?
= == = =Watch the Video Clip - 1.15 min - The Collapsed Bams - Evidence being removed before proper Investigation
being edited and loading soon
= = == = == == = == and read what happened in Vietnam
CAN THO, Vietnam (Reuters) - Recovery workers in southern Vietnam dug out one more body on Saturday as they accelerated the search for several people still believed trapped three days after a section of a Japanese-funded bridge collapsed. Two spans of a bridge under construction in Can Tho, in the Mekong Delta, broke on Wednesday in the nation's worst such accident, killing at least 48 and injuring 82, some with critical head injuries. The official Vietnam News Agency said earlier that 64 had died.
Cranes lifted broken steel frames and slabs of concrete from several places in the rubble identified by sniffer dogs before rescuers used their hands to remove debris. "A strong smell is still coming out and our gut feeling is that there are more bodies in there," Captain Tran Xuan Hoi, who commands two army engineering units at the site, said after soldiers removed the worker's body. Two women cried and one fainted as the body was identified as their brother, one of six workers listed as missing. The chief of Can Tho city's Communist Party unit, Nguyen Tan Quyen, said the round-the-clock search would end only when all the victims had been found.
A commemoration ceremony was scheduled on Sunday at the accident site near the Hau river in Vinh Long province. The construction of the 2.75-km (1.7-mile) bridge started in 2004 over the river to link Can Tho with Vinh Long and improve traffic access to
A Japanese consortium of Taisei Corp, Kajima Corp and Nippon Steel Engineering Co has been building the mid-section of the bridge. The reason for the collapse of a 90-metre (300-foot) section remained unclear but authorities are investigating. Officials said rains might have softened the foundations, causing scaffolding to collapse and bringing down the section.
= == = = from AP
[...]
Nguyen Quoc Trung, 31, was among those injured well enough to talk."We were working normally and all of a sudden we were flying down," Trung said. He landed semi-conscious, with his chest stuck between concrete and twisted metal. "I didn't know if I was in the jungle or the middle of the air," Trung said. "I didn't know where I was." Le Viet Hung, vice chief of the Can Tho police, said the scene was "total chaos." "It sounded like a huge explosion," Hung said. "It's the biggest accident I've ever seen."
= == = == = == = = == = = == = =Go H E R E on the Sunday Star article on
Weighing state of the judiciary
Sunday,
Interviews with 3 retired judges
The three – Datuk Shaik Daud Ismail, Datuk K.C. Vohrah and Datuk V.C. George – retired as Court of Appeal (COA) judges. Shaik Daud gives training sessions at the Legal and Judicial Training Institute; Vohrah is a Suhakam commissioner, and George is a sought-after dinner speaker and moderator at legal conferences. All also do arbitration.
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