3 men with no safety gear killed on the job

3 men with no safety gear killed on the job
NST, 4-Sept-2008

Kuching: Three Telekom Malaysia contractors were killed and another injured when the telephone pole they were replacing accidentally touched a nearby electric cable in Stutong Baru yesterday.

Davendra Sani Asan, 28, Isaac Elkana, 34, and Philips Loven, 25, were killed on the spot in the 5.50pm incident. Their colleague, Cornelies Engki, 18, sustained minor injuries.Witnesses said the three men were working without safety gear when the tragedy struck. Some saw them pulling down the old telephone cables with their bare hands.One of the contractors' colleagues, Josey Mahay, said he was installing telephone cables at a house nearby when the incident occurred.

"I heard what sounded like a blast and someone calling for help.

"I ran out of the house I was working in but it was too late. They were already dead."Josey confirmed that the men were not wearing safety gear while working."It is normal for us," he said.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Wong Wai Loong said the bodies of the men were sent to Sarawak General Hospital for a post-mortem.

Labourers electrocuted to death
The Star, 4-Sept.08

Kuching Three labourers were electrocuted to death when they were replacing a wooden telephone post with a steel one at the Stutong Resettlement Scheme here yesterday.

Issac Elkana, 31, his nephew Davendra Sani Asan, 21, and Philipos Loren, 18, all from Kampung Stutong, were raising the steel post into position when it accidentally hit the overhead electricity cables. They were killed instantly.

Issac leaves a wife and five children, while Davendra had just got married a few months ago.

The three were among a group of six workers of a Telekom subcontractor.

The other three were unhurt.

Tiga maut terkena renjatan elektrik
Berita Harian, 4-Sept-08

Kuching: Tiga pekerja kontrak Telekom Malaysia (TM) maut terkena renjatan elektrik selepas tiang telefon yang cuba ditegakkan tumbang sebelum terkena kabel Sarawak Elektrik Berhad (SEB), di Stutong Baru, di sini petang semalam. Dalam kejadian jam 5 petang itu, Davendra Sani Asan, 28; Isaac Elkana, 34, dan Philips Loven, 25, semuanya dari Kampung Stutong, disahkan mati di tempat kejadian, manakala seorang lagi rakan mereka, Cornelius Engki, 18, cedera kaki kanan.

Ketua Polis Daerah Kuching, Asisten Komisioner Wong Wai Loong, berkata kumpulan pekerja kontrak TM berkenaan dipercayai cuba menggantikan tiang telefon lama yang patah secara manual.

"Mangsa yang maut dipercayai memegang tiang besi berkenaan secara terus, manakala pekerja lain hanya membantu menarik tiang menggunakan tali sebelum tumbang dan mengenai kabel elektrik.

"Akibat renjatan elektrik, tiga mangsa yang maut terpelanting kira-kira tiga meter, manakala seorang lagi melecur kaki kanan," katanya ketika ditemui di tempat kejadian.

Wong berkata, pihaknya mengklasifikasikan kes sebagai kematian mengejut namun tidak menolak kecuaian sebagai punca utama dengan pihak kontraktor tidak menggunakan jentera bagi menaikkan tiang berkenaan.

"Polis akan menyiasat kes ini dan jika ada unsur kecuaian, majikan boleh didakwa kerana tidak mematuhi prosedur kerja mengikut undang-undang sehingga menyebabkan kematian," katanya.

Mayat mangsa dihantar ke Rumah Mayat, Hospital Umum Kuching (HUS) dengan bedah siasat dijangka dilakukan selewat-lewatnya petang ini sebelum ahli keluarga dibenarkan menuntut jenazah.

Sementara itu seorang pekerja, Josey Mahay, 21, berkata kejadian berlaku cepat dengan pekerja lain berdekatan kumpulan yang sedang menaikkan tiang tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa.

"Saya berada dalam lori sebelum terdengar bunyi letupan kecil dengan tiga rakan yang sedang cuba menaikkan tiang sudah terbaring atas tanah manakala Cornelius menjerit kesakitan.

"Pihak syarikat memang ada membekalkan sarung tangan tetapi mereka mungkin tidak memakainya kerana menjadi kebiasaan tugas menaikkan tiang tidak lama serta tidak berbahaya," katanya.