GEORGE TOWN: "I am very grateful to come down early, otherwise I could be one of the victims," said Mohidul Islam, 43, one of the workers in the construction of the logistics warehouse in Batu Maung, Bayan Lepas, that collapsed last night.

Mohidul, a Bangladeshi national, said he was with four others doing carpentry work on the top floor of the warehouse when he decided to take a break and left his workstation.

"Suddenly I heard a loud noise and the situation became chaotic after realising that there was a collapse of the structure that was under construction.

"Most of us here have only been working at this project site for three months...I am very sad because I have friends who died in the incident," he said when met at the scene today.

Another worker, Md Ikhtiar, 38, said it was about 9.40 pm and he was working on the ground floor when he suddenly felt the structure of the building swaying.

"I immediately went out of the building after hearing screams from other workers and then saw the building collapse.

"One of the victims managed to be pulled out from the rubble, but his condition was bad and he died shortly after," he added.

The Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM), in a statement this morning, stated its team was having problems lifting the fallen beams to get to the victims buried under the rubble and that cranes were used to lift the heavy beam structures.

Earlier, Penang deputy police chief Datuk Mohamad Usuf Jan Mohamad, in a press conference, confirmed three Bangladeshi workers died in the incident, two others were seriously injured and four were feared to be still buried.

He said the police were informed about the incident at 9.45 pm.

As of 6 am today, four victims were reported to be still buried in the rubble, three are confirmed dead and two seriously injured are receiving treatment at Penang Hospital.

-- BERNAMA