Tower collapse affects life of 3,000 villagers
KOTA KINABALU:
Three thousand villagers are having difficulty going to the City after the closure of a road to allow investigations into the collapse of a power transmission tower at Suang Parai here. The road linking Kampung Kibagu, Numbak and Selimbangun was temporarily closed by Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) and the police to make way for investigations into the collapse of an emergency repair tower (ERT) on Tuesday which killed a technician and seriously injuring three others. Sabah Umno Youth Secretary Mohd Joh Wid said the villagers were given two alternative roads, but both of them were now inaccessible. “When the SESB and police closed the usual route, the villagers were diverted to an alternative road but it has become very muddy and inaccessible. “We then sought approval from Universiti Malaysia Sabah to allow the villagers to use another alternative route and they agreed. But that road is also now damaged and could not be used by ordinary vehicles,” explained Joh, who is also the Sepanggar Umno Youth Chief. Joh said that the villagers were now totally cut off from the City and were seeking help from the relevant authorities to overcome the problem. “The villages are still considered within the City area but the road condition is very bad. It is even worst than the roads in the interior areas,” said Joh who blamed the iron thieves for the collapse of the tower. “They stole the steel pieces causing the tower to collapse. And now a young man was dead while fixing the ERT ... the iron thieves should be blamed for all this. “Besides affecting the State’s economy, SESB for the materials and consumers for power disruption, it is also disrupting the life of the 3,000 villagers who are having problem getting to the City,” he pointed out. “The relevant authorities must take immediate action to help these people as they have nowhere to turn to,” he added.
