Penang Island City Council building department director Yew Tung Seang said a stop-work order had been served to the developer of the new apartments, pending an investigation into the matter.
“We suspect the adjacent project taking place next to the affected homes may have caused the retaining walls to come crashing down. Hence, a stop-work order has been served.
“But we are not at liberty to confirm if the building is the cause, as our city council engineers are still investigating,” he said when met at the Spice Arena here today.
Yesterday, at least 10 residents near Jalan Tanjung Tokong Lama had to evacuate their homes after the retaining wall surrounding their homes came crashing down after a downpour. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident.
In the 6am incident, Fire and Rescue Department officials ordered an immediate evacuation of nearby homes, fearing the adjacent homes have become unstable and unsafe. The evacuation was completed by 10:40am.
The residents have been relocated to a nearby hall while soil integrity checks are being conducted.