A MASSIVE seven-storey crane tower crashed on a pre-war shophouse in George Town, killing one and injuring three others. The tower had toppled from a nearby construction site onto the house, burying 65-year-old Liang Yit Kwang under the debris. His family sustained injuries but otherwise survived the horrific incident.Two nearby shophouses were also damaged by the crash.

The crane had been installed to construct a 20-storey hotel. The police say they are investigating the case under Section 338 of the Penal Code, and the site has been sealed from the public pending an investigation. Liang and his family had been in the business of making iron grilles. “He was a master craftsman and had been working with us for over 30 years,” said daughter Ai Lay. Read here.

The Department of Safety and Health (DSOH) will not rule out human error as a cause of the accident. “The investigation will concentrate on the installation and design of the crane,” said Penang DSOH director Mohamad Anuar Embi. State Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said that aid has been distributed to the victims, and that the state government is ready to provide further assistance if need be. Read here.

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