KUCHING: Three people were killed and 41 others injured, nine of them critical, in an explosion at the popular CityOne Megamall at Jalan Song here, yesterday.
Of the 44 victims, one of the dead was Penangnite Chin Hsien Loong, 29. The other two were locals O Kui
Lim, 49, and Tehee Kiom Joong, 24.
Among the 41 injured was an Indonesian. The incident happened at 3.30pm. Two of the deceased were workers of the Nene Chicken eatery.
Several shoppers, some of them serious, were seen covered in blood. Sarawak Bomba director Khirudin Drahman confirmed the incident.
A team of 48 firefighters in two fire engines rushed to the scene at 3.37pm to rescue some of the trapped victims.
Kuching MP Dr Wong King Wei, who was at the scene, told newsmen that the blast was caused by a gas cylinder which exploded while some of the equipment in the eatery which was under renovation exploded.
Following the explosion, the management of the mall has closed the mall to the public.
“Due to a sudden explosion just now in one of the unit (sic) at CityOne Megamall notice is hereby given that CityOne Megamall will be closed to the public with immediate effect until further notice,” the management said in its Facebook posting.
A tenant, Jennifer Eng, who owns a music school at the second level, said she was shocked to hear a loud blast and felt the building “shaking a bit”.
“We thought it was a thunder. Suddenly the door to the entrance of my school flung open because of the impact of the blast. Then I saw the debris flying up,” she said.
“At that point I was so worried that the lift would not function. My only thought was the safety of my four young students who were having their lessons.
“I told the teacher and the students to run for their lives. On the way out of the building we saw the ceiling of the Nene Chicken outlet collapse,” she said.
A victim, who preferred anonymity, said he was in the midst of installing an equipment when the incident occurred.
He said the wall collapsed and hit him. “Everyone was in a state of panic,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bernama reported an eyewitness as saying that the explosion occurred at a shop which was under renovation.
“I was purchasing a pizza in front of the shop (under renovation) when suddenly, a strong explosion occurred. The workers in the shop (being renovated) ran out, and some of them were seriously injured,” Bernama quoted George Sting, 39.
Grace Lee, 23, a sales assistant at a telecommunications shop near the scene said she was entertaining a customer at her shop when she heard the loud sound.
“The shopping mall’s management immediately made an emergency announcement to inform visitors to get out of the shopping mall,” she said.
Wina Simion, 46, said she was sitting near the premises enjoying lunch with her family members when the incident occurred.
“Our family was enjoying pizza at a shop here, and suddenly, we were shocked by the explosion from the store which also caused our table to fly up,” she said.
Chronology of rescue work by Fire and Rescue Services personnel
3:52:11
12 victims trapped under the rubble
3:53:52
Three victims successfully rescued
3:56:44
First victim sent to hospital
3:57:55
Four victims sent to hospital by Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS)
3:59:47
Two victims sent to Borneo Medical Centre
4:03:46
Three victims still trapped in the rubble
4:09:35
One victim successfully pulled out of the rubble
4:13:18
13 victims reported injured, 10 successfully rescued
4:17:29
12 victims rescued, three still trapped
4:19:37
A victim (injured) successfully rescued and sent to hospital
4:24:22
Three victims still trapped under the rubble
4:24:57
Four victims reported trapped in the rubble; one successfully pulled out and sent to hospital
4:25:29
Efforts to pull three victims out of the rubble
4:45:00
Four men pulled out (seriously injured)
4:50:00
Fourth and fifth victims pulled out (both dead)
4:58:00
Sixth victim pulled out (dead)
Source:
Sarawak Bomba Operations Centre
