Highland Towers collapse
Encyclopedia
Structural failure
Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material is stressed to its strength limit, thus causing fracture or excessive deformations...
that occurred on 11 December 1993 in Taman Hillview
Taman Hillview
Taman Hillview is a township in the Klang Valley. It is located in Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. The township lies in a landslide-prone area. It is located next the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2....
, Ulu Klang
Ulu Klang
Ulu Klang is a popular residential area in Klang Valley, Selangor, Malaysia. Several landslides have occurred in this area, forcing people mainly living in flats to evacuate.-List of residential areas:*Bukit Antarabangsa*Villa Sri Ukay*Taman Hillview...
, Selangor
Selangor
Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity") is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west...
, Malaysia. The collapse of Block One of the apartments caused the deaths of 48 people and led to the complete evacuation of the other two blocks due to safety concerns.
On 11 December 2010, in collaboration with the seventeenth anniversary of the incident, AETN
A&E Television Networks
A&E Television Networks is a U.S. media company that owns a group of television channels available via cable & satellite in the US and abroad...
's History Channel
History (South East Asian TV channel)
History is an Asian television channel with shows on historical events and persons. The channel is owned by AETN All Asia Networks, a joint-venture between A&E Television Networks, owner of the American History, and Astro Holdings Sdn Bhd.- Company :AETN All Asia Networks was formed on 15 June...
showed an hour-long documentary on the tragedy, with accounts from the victims, their families and former residents.
Background
The Highland Towers consist of three 12-storey blocks, built in phases between 1975 and 1982 at the western base of a steeply sloped hill which was later terraced extensively in the early 1980s.Each block was respectively named:
- Block 1 (built 1977, southern-most)
- Block 2 (built 1979, north-northwest of block 1, slightly elevated than the other two, closer in to the hill)
- and Block 3 (built 1981, northwest of block 1, west of block 2).
A swimming pool was located between northwest side of Block 2 and northeast rear of Block 3.
Block 1 collapsed when 10 continuous days of rainfall led to a landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
after the retaining wall behind the Tower's car park failed.
The Highland Towers were once notorious in the 1980s and early 1990s for being a popular spot for the wealthy people to hide their mistresses.
Cause of structural failure
Behind the Towers was a small stream of water known as 'East Creek'. East Creek flowed into the site of the Towers before the Towers' construction. Later, a pipe system was built to divert the stream to bypass the Towers.In 1991, a new housing development project, known as 'Bukit Antarabangsa Development Project', commenced on the hilltop located behind the Towers. As a result, the hill was cleared of trees and other land-covering plants, exposing the soil to land erosion that will cause land slide .
The water from the construction site was diverted into the same pipe system used to divert the flow of East Creek. Eventually, the pipe system became overly pressurized with the water, sand and silt from both East Creek and the construction site. The pipes burst at various locations on the hill, and the soil had to absorb the excessive water. The monsoon rainfall in December 1993 further worsened the situation.
The water content in the soil had exceeded a dangerous level, and the soil had literally turned into mud. By October 1992, the hill slope had been almost flooded with water, and it was reported that water was seen flowing down the hill slopes and the retaining walls.
Soon after, a landslip took place and destroying the poorly-constructed retaining walls. The landslide was so strong that it has a force equivalent to 200 Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
jets. The soil rammed onto the foundation of Block One, pushing it forward for a while before causing it to snap and bringing down the apartment block.
A month before the building fell, in November 1993, residents began to see cracks forming and widening on the road around the Highland Towers, a sign of the collapse that sadly not much people took notice.
Victims who were killed
The official death toll released by the authorities was 48, though other sources gave a number greater than 55. The victims are mainly Malaysian, with 12 foreigners (a Briton, a Japanese, 2 Indians, 2 Koreans, 3 Filipino and 3 Indonesian).- Rohana Bano Mushtak Ahmad, 29
- Mohammad Budi Abdullah @ Robin Williams Wharton, 44
- Mohammad Adam, 6 months
- The son of former Deputy Prime Minister of MalaysiaDeputy Prime Minister of MalaysiaDeputy Prime Minister of Malaysia is the second highest political office in Malaysia. There has been ten deputy prime ministers since the office was created in 1957. Although there has always been a Deputy Prime Minister since independence, there is nothing preventing a Prime Minister from not...
, Datuk Musa HitamMusa HitamTun Musa bin Hitam , is a Malaysian politician and a former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, serving under Mahathir bin Mohamad. He was born in Johor Bahru, Johor in 1934...
, Carlos Rashid and his wife, Rosina Datuk Abu Bakar. - Korean woman, Bahk Jung Soon, 45, and her daughter Bahk Hee Won.
- Koh Yuet Met
- Gene Koh Wai Keong, 15
- Brandon Koh Wai Hong, 6
- Daryl Koh Wai Kin, 3.
- Yap Kien Seng, 18.
- Yap Woei Ning
- Yap Hsiao Mei, 18 and her mother - Wong Mee Thai, 35
- Datin Milly Lee, 55
- Teo Tea
- Ong Yong, 53
- Douglas Ong Tee Ming, 17.
- Fatimah Abdul Majid, 66
- Che Mariam Abdul Majid, 76
- Noranira Mohamed Nor, 15
- Nik Mohamed Baharuddin, 41
- Shizue Nakajima, 50
- Dr Anne George,
- Debbie George
- Sharon George
- Majnawiyah Masnawi, 25
- Amirah Nor Hamzah, 15
- Fergus Phang Thien Liang, 26
- Phang's mother, Ivy Lim Ai Bee
- Phang's grandmother, Cheng Kim Tai
- Trimah Ngarijo
- Yusna Anuar
- Farah Aruzi
- Lee Mun Lin
- Tony Lou Yoke Yong
- Adrian Lou Chung Wei
- Barry Lou Ka Wei
- Sajjive Chandran
- Prakash Chandran
- Radha Chandran
- Quah Li Jun
- Chiew Poh Wah
- Goh Fong Kiew
- Judith Mosquiter
- Suharti Kusban
- Aribinda Datta
- Rita Datta
Chronology of events
- October 1992
- Water began to flow down the hill slopes due to the flooding caused by the burst pipes.
- November 1993
- Cracks began to form and widen on the road leading to the towers.
- December 11, 1993: Block 1 of the Highland Towers collapses at 1.35 pm.
- 124 members of the Federal Reserve UnitFederal Reserve UnitThe Federal Reserve Unit , or better known by the abbreviation as FRU was established as a riot control forces and a special response team as well as a paramilitary that can be deployed regardless of time to engage on any emergency or public unrest that happens in Malaysia.-Role:The main role of...
(FRU) and about 30 military personnel and engineers from Batu Cantonment Camp and Wardieburn Camp are deployed for search and rescue. Hundreds of policemen, firemen and Kuala Lumpur City HallDewan Bandaraya Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur City Hall is the local authority charged with the administration of Kuala Lumpur. It is an agency under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia....
(DBKL) rescue teams, Malaysian Red Cresent Council volunteers arrived earlier. - Rescue team spots somebody waving a stick. A maid of one of the residents at Level 7, Umi Rashidah Khoruman, 22, and her daughter Nur Hamidah Najib, 18 months are found.
- Shizue Nakajima, 50, a Japanese women was also pulled from the debris but pronounced dead at 12 midnight in Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL). Dr Abdul Wahid from HKL Shahrum stated Nakajima suffered severe internal bleeding.
- Prime Minister of MalaysiaPrime Minister of MalaysiaThe Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...
, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar IbrahimAnwar IbrahimAnwar bin Ibrahim is a Malaysian politician who served as Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister from 1993 to 1998. Early in his career, Anwar was a close ally of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad but subsequently emerged as the most prominent critic of Mahathir's government.In 1999, he was sentenced...
and many cabinet ministers visit the site.
- 124 members of the Federal Reserve Unit
- December 12: Residents of Block B and C of Highland Towers are ordered to vacate their homes after declaring unsafe. Search and rescue teams from SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
arrived in Malaysia to help. Nuri and Alouette helicopters from the RMAF were also despatched.
- December 13: A team from France with two rescue dogs joins the operation. They use heartbeat detectors to search for survivors and digs a 4.5 meter hole for access. A Committee Cabinet is established specifically to deal with problems relating to the Highland Towers tragedy.
- December 15: Rescuers find six bodies. Four are believed to be of two Koreans and two locals. Rescue teams decides to use machines to break concrete and steel as well as bulldozers to remove debris to open a route.
- December 16: Umi and Rashidah Nur Hamidah are released from HKL.
- December 17: The Cabinet Committee agrees to abandon rescue efforts.
- December 18: Rescue teams find six more bodies including one child.
- December 19: Rescue teams find three bodies. One of a woman, located about eight meters inside the parking area, was found at 7 p.m. The second body, also a woman, was found near the first body at 8.30 p.m. while the third, a man, was found at 10.15 p.m. the night.
- December 20: So far, 25 corpses, including one who embraced the Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
found in Level 12 are discovered. Also found were the remains of a woman wearing a sari and shielding a child.
- December 21: The police confirms that 48 bodies were recovered from the Highland Towers debris.
- December 22: The search is ended. Dr Nik Hassan Nik Ramlan is appointed chairman of the Technical Committee of Investigating the Highland Towers tragedy.
Legacy and recent history
In November 2002, almost nine years after the incident, a bungalow2002 Taman Hillview Bungalow Collapse
The 2002 Taman Hillview Bungalow Collapse was a bungalow collapse that occurred on 20 November 2002, in Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia when the bungalow of the Affin Bank chairman General Tan Sri Ismail Omar collapsed causing a landslide. The bungalow was completely destroyed after...
belonging to Affin Bank
Affin Bank
Affin Bank is the smallest anchor bank in Malaysia. Formerly known as Perwira Habib Bank, the bank started growing by giving out low interest credit cards and loans....
chairman General (Retired) Tan Sri Ismail Omar collapsed due to a landslide. It was located just metres away from the towers.
On 11 December 2004, in conjunction with the eleventh anniversary of the tragedy, all former residents and victims of the Highland Towers gathered at the site as a final farewell, after knowing that the property will be transferred to AmBank
AmBank
AMMB Holdings is currently the fifth largest banking group in Malaysia, with more than 200 branches and their outlets , providing individuals and businesses with a range of financial services and products.AmBank Group was founded in 1975 as Arab-Malaysian Development Bank, by Merchant Banking...
.
Later, on 6 December 2008, just five days short of the 15th anniversary of the incident, another landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa
2008 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide
The 2008 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide was a landslide that occurred on 6 December 2008, in Bukit Antarabangsa, Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. Four people were killed and more than eight others are feared buried in a landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa, Ulu Klang, near Kuala Lumpur...
took place just 1.5 kilometres away from Highland Towers. The landslide buried 14 bungalows.
After the tragedy, The Highland Towers memorial stone was placed at the site of Block 1, but sadly it was a victim of much vandalism. Blocks 2 and 3 of the Highland Towers still stand today, although they are now almost completely overgrown by the dense jungle.
In recent years, they have been the site of much vandalism and the buildings are now in almost complete disarray and ruin. In 1998, five years after the tragedy, a team from the Court in charge of the lawsuit visited the Towers and found out to be entirely stripped of its contents, leaving just a naked structure. Drug addicts take the abandoned apartments as a temporary shelter. Rather eerie, the abandoned towers continue to loom out of the green density of the jungle, looking out over the Taman Hillview area.
The Highland Towers had been a popular source of haunted stories in the years thereafter, a result of the tragedy that took forty-eight lives.
Plans of redevelopment
There were plans to repair the two remaining blocks and re-occupy them back in 1995, but unfortunately, researches revealed that the blocks were no longer structurally safe and the only thing that could be done is demolish them.See also
- Structural failureStructural failureStructural failure refers to loss of the load-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure or of the structure itself. Structural failure is initiated when the material is stressed to its strength limit, thus causing fracture or excessive deformations...
- Taman Hillview bungalow collapse
2002 Taman Hillview Bungalow Collapse
The 2002 Taman Hillview Bungalow Collapse was a bungalow collapse that occurred on 20 November 2002, in Taman Hillview, Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia when the bungalow of the Affin Bank chairman General Tan Sri Ismail Omar collapsed causing a landslide. The bungalow was completely destroyed after...
(2002)
- Taman HillviewTaman HillviewTaman Hillview is a township in the Klang Valley. It is located in Ulu Klang, Selangor, Malaysia. The township lies in a landslide-prone area. It is located next the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2....
External links
Malaysia°N date=December 2010°W