JOHOR BAHRU: Shoppers and business owners alike were left shell-shocked when a large portion of a ceiling collapsed at a popular shopping mall in Johor Bahru.
No injuries were reported in the Saturday (Mar 8) incident that occurred at KSL City Mall, though videos of the incident have since gone viral on social media.
This is at least the second such report of a ceiling collapse in Malaysia recently following an incident that happened at a shoplot in Kota Kinabalu on Friday. A 55-year-old woman was seriously injured in the Sabah incident.
In the incident on Saturday in Johor Bahru, local media reported that the collapse occurred between 6pm and 7pm that day at KSL City Mall.
The mall is popular with Singaporean visitors and is about a 10-minute drive from the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar checkpoint.
Eyewitnesses had reported hearing a loud bang before segments of the ceiling came crashing down, affecting several kiosks.
“I was just a few steps away when I heard a loud cracking sound. The next thing I knew, the ceiling came crashing down. It was terrifying,” one person was quoted as saying by The Vibes.
The Star newspaper reported a worker as saying that he first heard sounds coming from the ceiling at about 7pm.
“It started with small noises, then a noticeable crack appeared. The crack grew longer, and debris began to fall before the entire ceiling collapsed,” Ngui, who wanted to be identified by his last name, told The Star.
He also called on the mall’s management to take action and inspect the building’s safety and maintenance.
Meanwhile, a hair salon worker was also quoted by The Star as claiming that a similar incident had occurred the previous weekend, but on a smaller scale.
The Star reported on Sunday that the area affected by Saturday’s incident has since been sealed off from the public with construction workers busy carrying out repairs on the damaged ceiling.
Johor Bahru South’s assistant commissioner Raub Selamat said police are investigating the matter.
“Although no police report has been lodged, we are proceeding with the investigation,” he said.
In October 2023, three people were injured when a section of the ceiling at the Megah Rise Mall in Selangor’s Petaling Jaya collapsed during heavy downpour.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-ksl-city-mall-johor-bahru-ceiling-collapse-4989561
