The landslide area, as big as a football field, is at the site of an elevated road project on a mountainside.

In the 1.56pm incident, earth from the top of the cut hill, together with pillars piled there, fell on six containers serving as cabins for some 20 foreign workers.

At the time, only 13 were in their containers. They were taking a rest after Friday prayers.

The rest were at a makeshift canteen not far away.

The lunch-goers could only watch in horror as they saw the earth come down and smash into the containers below.

Of the 13 victims, only three have been found. Two of these three men were killed while the third man suffered a broken leg and has been admitted to the Penang Hospital.

The dead men were identified as Attrul, 35, a Bangladeshi, and Samsul, 19, an Indonesian.

The workers were working on the 5km Paya Terubong Bypass Road, which connects Bandar Baru Air Itam and Relau.

The RM530 million project is being built by the city council and two private developers. The road will hug the hillsides of Paya Terubong and Relau.

Last Thursday, a crane operator laying a steel structure for the road lost control. The operator swung onto other beams, causing them to fall down the valley. A stop work order was then issued.

A large crowd gathered after news spread about the landslide. Some of them were seen praying for their friends to be found quickly.

Penang Fire and Rescue Department director Saadon Moktar said 145 rescue workers, comprising firemen, policemen, civil defence and paramedics, were on site.

He said they were standing by for a K9 police dog unit from Kuala Lumpur to help in the search-and-rescue efforts.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow emerged from the construction site saying he was “sakit hati” (distressed) to see the dead workers.

He said all worksites must practise safety first to prevent such untoward events.

He said his government’s priority now is to find all the victims and said the hill slope terrain was unstable after the incident.

Chow said only urgent remedial work to ensure safety was allowed now at the worksite.