GEORGE TOWN: A stop-work order has been served on the owner of Lost Paradise Resort to prevent them from carrying out further activity involving a retaining wall which collapsed and killed four Myanmar construction workers on Tuesday night.
Penang Island City Council Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the stop-work order was issued on Thursday. The notice was issued under Section 70A of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 for earthworks.
According to the notice, the construction works conducted within the hotel compound was done without approval by the council, and that the landowner must immediately stop all activity at the site to ensure it was safe and not hazardous to people, the environment, and surrounding property.
"We have also lodged a police report to enable the authority to investigate the fatal incident," he said after chairing a full council meeting here this morning.
In the 9.25pm incident on Tuesday, the four foreigners were killed when tonnes of earth came crashing down on them, burying them alive as they were carrying out works to build a retaining wall at the holiday resort in Batu Ferringhi.
According to the notice the landowner was also ordered to hoard up the area around the site of the collapse immediately.
The landowner was also required to submit plans for remedial works along with a method statement on the proposed repairs through a registered consultant engineer within 30 days.
At the council meeting today, Yew also said that one lane on Jalan Batu Ferringhi still remained closed to traffic to allow for mitigation and repair works of about 50m of the road that was damaged due to the collapse.
"The council is working with the Road Transport Department (RTD) on the mitigation works to the road and slope," he added.
Following the incident, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has ordered a thorough inspection of the slope and the 15km Jalan Batu Ferringhi.
The council has launched an investigation into the collapse of an under-construction retention wall, with Yew vowing that legal action would be taken against those responsible for the incident.