Independent team to investigate collapsed Second Penang Bridge

Minister of Works Datuk Fadilah Yusuf said the actual cause for the collapse of the exit ramp connector of the Second Penang Bridge must be quickly identified to prevent a recurrence.

He said an independent investigation team comprising experts would be set up to identify whether the collapse was caused by non-compliance to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), workers' incompetence or other factors.

"We have to study the overall incident to be used as a long term reference. If it involved weakess in terms of SOP, we must find ways to improve on it," he said when contacted by Bernama, here, Friday.

He said although security at the construction site was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Human Resource Ministry, his ministry still had to carry out an investigation as all highways in the country were monitored by the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) which was under the Works Ministry.

Asked on the impact of the incident to the project which was expected to be opened in September, Fadilah said it depended on the outcome of the investigation by the team to be set up, and action by DOSH.

Yesterday, the exit concrete ramp of the Second Penang Bridge which was under construction on the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Highway collapsed at 7.07pm.