GEORGE TOWN: All 3,853 heritage buildings within the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site will undergo a visual inspection following two recent incidents involving falling debris from the aged structures.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) said it would step up safety checks following two incidents in the past month where three people were injured by falling debris.
"The council will carry out visual inspections of all 3,853 heritage buildings within the George Town Unesco World Heritage Site, comprising 82 units of Category I and 3,771 units of Category II buildings.
"The move follows the Aug 4 incident at Lebuh Armenian, where two Sri Lankan tourists were injured after parts of a heritage building fell off.
"Since then, MBPP has issued 26 notices to land and building owners requiring them to inspect, repair and rectify any damage or defects found," it said.
MBPP added that it had discussed the proposed inspections with the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (Penang branch) and was taking steps to appoint qualified engineers for the purpose.
"The inspections are aimed at obtaining an initial overview of the physical condition of the buildings and identifying any defects, deterioration or signs of structural damage that could potentially affect the safety of the buildings and the public," it said.
MBPP said owners would be notified to carry out immediate repairs and safety measures if further technical inspections were deemed necessary.
The council will also appoint a pest control company to inspect heritage buildings for termite infestation and if it contributed to the incidents.
On Aug 4, two Sri Lankan tourists were injured when a wooden beam and concrete debris from the second-floor roof of a heritage shophouse fell onto them in Lebuh Armenian.
On Tuesday (Sept 1) night, a woman was injured in an incident after part of a heritage building fell onto her at the junction of Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling and Lebuh China.
The woman is currently in stable condition and receiving treatment at a private hospital in Penang.
MBPP said public safety remained its priority while ensuring heritage buildings in the Unesco site continued to be properly preserved, maintained and managed.
It also urged building owners, building users and other stakeholders to inform MBPP of any heritage building found to be in poor condition, showing signs of damage or potentially posing a risk to public safety.
