‘The ground shook and the bridge came crashing down’

a pedestrian bridge under construction collapsed near

KUALA LUMPUR: Workers recounted a chilling tale of how the ground shook and debris went flying when the pedestrian bridge came crashing down.

Bangladesh national Md Kawsar, 30, said the incident occurred after midday when most of his co-workers were having their lunch.

“We always sit under the bridge and have our lunch or a cigarette break under the shade.

“I heard a loud noise and saw the bridge falling. The ground shook and metal and concrete debris was thrown all over as it came down,” said the foreign worker who escaped uninjured in the incident yesterday.

Meanwhile Tran Van Hai, 29, was operating a forklift next to the bridge when the incident occurred.

He remembered the ground shaking so badly that he was thrown off the machine and injured his leg.

“My 21-year brother was closer to the incident. He did not make it,” said the visibly-shaken Vietnamese national who asked for privacy to mourn.

Both Tran and Md Kawsar said they would wait at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) for news on their other colleagues.

The UMMC emergency and trauma unit was busy with ambulances seen rushing in victims of the disaster, one after another.

UMMC director Prof Dr Tunku Kamarul Zaman Tunku Zainol Abidin said their priority was to ensure that the victims received the best medical care.

He said five doctors were sent to the site of the disaster to give the victims pre-medical care.

“One of the victims had to have his leg amputated on site due to a crush injury that was so severe, we could not move him.

“We have also parked an ambulance at the scene as the search and rescue operations for more victims continues.

“We will only leave the scene once all search and rescue efforts have been called off,” he said.