Close shave for 16 as ceiling comes crashing down
MALACCA: Sixteen people, including six customers who were in a goldsmith shop here, had a close shave when the ceiling came crashing down at about 1.40pm yesterday.
The outlet in a hypermarket at MITC in Ayer Keroh near here had only opened for business last week after renovations.
An ambulance and a fire engine rushed to the scene fearing that victims could have been trapped under the rubble.
Everyone except for security guard Affendi Taib, 47, managed to get out in the nick of time.
Affendi, who got out 20 mintues later, declined to talk.
A salesperson from a neighbouring retail store, Katijah Gemijah, 46, said she saw Affendi crawling out from under the debris unscathed.
“The security guard’s face was covered with white powder and I could see he was terrified.
“It might have turned out differently but luckily one of the customers heard a cracking sound and shouted Keluar, Keluar! (Get Out, Get Out!) to those in the shop,” Katijah said.
Katijah added that others thought a light aircraft had crashed into the building.
“We screamed when we heard the noise and our immediate reaction was to squat.
“I saw panic-stricken customers of the outlet making phone calls to their relatives.”
The hypermarket branch manager S. Sreedaran said the outlet had recently been renovated.
State police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye, who was at the scene, said police received a distress call at about 1.40pm.
He said an investigation to determine what caused the collapse had been initiated.
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