Mayor Maimunah Mohd Shariff said a full-scale investigation would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the incident.
“We have issued a stop-work order, pending investigations,” she said in a WhatsApp message to FMT.
In the 8.50am incident, large quantities of earth came falling down at the construction site next to the Tunku Abdul Rahman College campus.
Two of the estimated 18 people feared buried in the landslide were rescued. Both were reported to be foreign workers at the site.
Two other bodies have been recovered. The Penang Fire and Rescue Department believe 14 others are still trapped.
The affordable housing condominium being developed by a private company was slated to be completed by June 2020, with two 49-storey towers containing a total of 980 units.
The construction appears to have been in the early phase, with just the first two storeys of the condominium’s 12-level car park already built.