We rakyat sends our deepest condolences to the families of those involved in the accident. A nationwide study and review of the transport act, QC of highway design, and traffic impact assessments MUST be done asap. 

By : MKini - UPDATED 11.13PM | Added police confirmation that two victims died while three others injured in the incident.
A portion of the unfinished Suke highway in Kuala Lumpur has collapsed, killing two people and severely injuring three.

The five - all Malaysians - had been travelling in a van on the way to work in a factory.

The incident occurred in front of the Desa Tasik apartment, near the Bandar Tasik Selatan bus terminal. This is along the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) in the direction of Pandan Indah heading towards Ampang.

Videos from eyewitnesses show that the scene is next to an existing overhead pedestrian bridge.

Kuala Lumpur police traffic enforcement and investigation chief Zulkefly Yahya told the media tonight that two women had died at the scene.

“The driver is a man and he is safe. Two other women were also safe. They have been sent to the UKM Medical Centre.

“Two victims have died and they are here (at the scene). We will bring them to the hospital for a post mortem,” he said.

The two women who died were in their 40s. The injured man is 47 while the two injured women are aged 51 and 54. The latter three were classified as being severely injured. 

An incomplete bridge collapsed and fell onto the van after a large trailer crashed into metal scaffolding at the highway construction site amidst rain and traffic at around 6:15pm today.

Zulkefly said that the trailer driver has been taken to the Sungai Besi police station to lodge a police report and for further investigation.

He added that the trailer had been transporting “metal” when the crash occurred.

The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (causing death by reckless or dangerous driving). It carries a punishment of between two and 10 years in prison; a fine between RM5,000 and RM20,000; and driving licences be surrendered for between three and 10 years from conviction.

This is the second accident involving the Suke construction site in recent months.

In September last year, a square concrete slab measuring one-metre square fell and hit a car beneath it. The driver’s hand was injured as a result of the accident.

Police deny trailer overloaded

The five in the van were trapped in the rubble for about three hours.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department chief Nordin Pauzi told the media that the rescue operation involved three cranes and 209 personnel from multiple agencies, including Suke contractors.

“The van was crushed by a metal high beam,” he said.

Earlier this evening, Prolintas Sdn Bhd, the company behind the Suke Expressway project, said that the bridge collapse happened after an “overloaded” trailer crashed into the construction site.

“We confirm that there was an accident involving an overloaded trailer lorry that crashed into Suke Expressway metal scaffolding at the construction site this evening,” it had said in a statement.

Zulkefly refuted Prolintas’ claim that the trailer had been carrying more than its authorised weight.

“No (it was not overloaded). Perhaps it crashed because of a technical (error).

“He (the driver) was escorted, he had a vehicle in front of him but then he crashed,” Zulkefly said.  

In its latest statement, Prolintas said traffic along the affected parts of the MRR2 had been diverted.