Remains of Bangladesh workers to be flown back today

The remains of the three Bangladesh nationals, who died when an MRT concrete span fell on them on Monday, will be flown back to their home country today.

“MRT Corp and Syarikat Muhib­bah Perniagaan dan Pembinaan Sdn Bhd (SMPP), the contractor for Package VI where the incident oc­­curred, are liaising closely with the Bangladesh High Commission to make the ne­cessary arrangements for the repatriation of the remains,” MRT Corp said in a statement.

“Family members of the victims have been informed of the incident. SMPP held a tahlil prayer for the victims last night, and will be performing solat jenazah ghaib before they are flown to Bangladesh,” it said yesterday.

The remains will be flown to Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and their families are expected to be at the airport to receive their remains.

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MRT Corp said it had conveyed its deepest condolences to the families of the workers over the unfortunate incident, and was currently investigating to determine its cause.

The three MRT workers were crushed when the span of the MRT guideway, which was dislodged from its piers, fell.

They have been identified as Mo­­ha­mad Faruk Khan, 38, Mohammad Alauddin Mollik, 34, and Moham­mad Elahi Hossain, 27.

Faruk, Alauddin and Elahi had only started work in Malaysia in March.

In a related development, the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) has voiced its concern over the incident.

Its president Datuk Lim Chow Hock said safety issues on site would have to be thoroughly investigated to determine the cause of the incident.

“IEM strongly urges the authorities to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the incident. Until the completion of the investigation, the root cause of the collapse cannot be established,” he said.

He said it was also alarming that the initial investigation by safety inspectors found the contractors did not comply with the standard ope­rating procedures for construction.

“Qualified professional engineers or supervisors must be present at all times to supervise the installation of such important concrete structures. IEM hopes all relevant parties involved in the project would ensure that there is strict adherence to the SOP and other safety guidelines in order to prevent similar incidents,” Lim said.

He added that IEM was willing to provide technical expertise and independent advice to the authorities in conducting the investigation into the cause and reviewing follow-up measures required to avoid similar incidents.