Shop owners voice concern after ceiling collapse at JB’s KSL City Mall
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The collapse, which occurred on the first level of KSL City Mall in Johor Bahru, startled shoppers.
PHOTOS: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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JOHOR BAHRU - Three days ago, after just two months on the job, a worker at a mall in Johor Bahru was forced to “run away” from his workplace.
On the night of March 8, the ceiling above the toy shop where he works collapsed, sending debris falling and forcing him to flee.
While The Star newspaper did not name the mall, another Malaysian media outlet, China Press, identified it as KSL City Mall.
The worker, who wanted to be identified only as Mr Ngui, recounted the incident during an interview at the mall in Taman Abad.
He said he first heard sounds coming from the ceiling around 7pm.
“It started with small noises, then a noticeable crack appeared. The crack grew longer and debris began to fall before the entire ceiling collapsed,” he said.
The collapse, which occurred on the mall’s first level, startled shoppers. Fortunately, no one was injured. Images and videos of the incident have since gone viral on social media.
Mr Ngui, 23, who started working at the shop about two months ago, urged the mall’s management to take action and inspect the building’s safety and maintenance measures. He is among several workers and shop owners who have voiced concerns over the building’s safety following the collapse.
A cosmetics shop owner, who gave her name only as Lau, believes the damage could have been caused by the wires holding up the ceiling frame.
“You could hear the wires snapping one by one. They had become rusty after being exposed to humid air-conditioning condensation.
“Some of the debris fell onto my store, damaging the lighting system and some of the make-up products that I sell.”
Lau, 32, said the management should conduct an inspection to prevent future incidents.
“We are lucky that no one was harmed, but at the same time, we should take precautions.”
A hair salon worker, who wanted to be known as only as Ms Tan, claimed there was a similar incident during the previous weekend, though on a much smaller scale.
“It happened on the ground floor,” she said, adding that the building is very old.
A check by The Star found that the site has been sealed off from the public. Construction workers were busy carrying out repairs on the damaged ceiling.
Johor Bahru South’s assistant commissioner Raub Selamat said police are investigating the matter.
“Although no police report has been lodged, we are proceeding with the investigation,” he said. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK
