Two Sri Lankan tourists were injured when part of a heritage building collapsed along Lebuh Armenian in George Town on Tuesday afternoon.
Mohamad Ammtar, 66, and Fatimah, 55, were struck by stones and timber that fell from a first-floor beam of the shophouse, trapping them beneath the debris, FMT reported.
The Penang Fire and Rescue Department received an emergency call at 1.11pm and dispatched a fire engine that arrived at the scene six minutes later, NST reported. Rescuers found the pair trapped under the collapsed structure and pulled them free before handing them over to Health Ministry personnel.
Both victims were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. Fire and rescue department assistant director of operations John Sagun Francis said the tourists were scheduled to return to Sri Lanka the following day.
The building’s ground floor houses a grocery shop, while the upper floor appears to be unoccupied.
Fire and rescue department operations commander Muhammad Fizi Jamaluddin said the collapse involved wooden beams from the roof area of the upper floor. “The building appeared structurally safe based on an initial assessment,” he told reporters at the scene. “However, precautionary measures should be taken to protect pedestrians and tourists from any loose debris that could still fall.”
The decision on reopening the affected road section would be made by the local council, he added.
State tourism committee chairman Wong Hon Wai visited the scene and said the state government would extend immediate assistance to the two tourists. He said George Town World Heritage Incorporated and the Penang Island City Council had been asked to issue a safety advisory to heritage building owners across the state.
“Attention should not be limited to the building involved in today’s incident,” he told reporters. “All heritage and old buildings must be inspected to ensure they are safe, as they could pose a danger to pedestrians and visitors.”
Wong said the state government was waiting for a full report from authorities to determine the cause of the collapse. He added that the Sri Lankan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur had been contacted to coordinate support for the victims.
Lebuh Armenian is a narrow street within George Town’s Unesco World Heritage Site and a popular tourist spot.
