Almost drowned in corn
By S. ARULLDAS
north@thestar.com.my
NIBONG TEBAL: A feedmill factory's seven-storey silo with more than 1,000 tonnes of corn collapsed and spilled its contents onto the road at the Valdor New Village in Sungai Bakap here.
A woman on a bicycle and another on a motorcycle with her five-year-old son sustained minor injuries when they were swamped by the corn while riding along the road.
Teh Poh Lian, 60, said she was cycling past the silo at 9.35am yesterday when she heard a loud bang.
“I saw waves' of corn coming towards me. I tried to cycle fast but failed. I then fell on the road when the corn, which was meant for animal feed, struck me.
“The latest incident was worse as there was a cloud of dust which lingered in the air for a few minutes before it cleared.
“My family has been living in this area for the past 20 years and we have never encountered such an incident before,” he said.
Sungai Bakap fire station officer Mohd Affendi Ishak said two fire engines with six men rushed to the scene within five minutes of being alerted by the villagers.
“We immediately inspected the heap of corn to ensure that no one was trapped beneath it.”
South Seberang Prai OCPD Supt Shafien Mamat said police were checking on the cause of the silo's collapse.
Teh Poh Lian, 60, said she was cycling past the silo at 9.35am yesterday when she heard a loud bang.
Corn field: Workers trying to salvage the more than 1,000 tonnes of corn spilled on the ground when a seven-storey high silo collapsed at a feedmill factory in Valdor New Village in Sungai Bakap, Penang. —MUSTAFA AHMAD/The Star .
“I saw waves' of corn coming towards me. I tried to cycle fast but failed. I then fell on the road when the corn, which was meant for animal feed, struck me.
“The corn on the road was almost a metre high. My bicycle was totally covered but the feedmill workers found it while clearing the road,” she said at the scene.
According to Robinson Low, 26, this was the second such incident. The first happened on March 13 when a silo also collapsed but the corn did not spill onto the road.“The latest incident was worse as there was a cloud of dust which lingered in the air for a few minutes before it cleared.
A-maize-ing: People taking a closer look at the corn outside a house at the Valdor New Village in Sungai Bakap Monday.
“My family has been living in this area for the past 20 years and we have never encountered such an incident before,” he said.
Sungai Bakap fire station officer Mohd Affendi Ishak said two fire engines with six men rushed to the scene within five minutes of being alerted by the villagers.
“We immediately inspected the heap of corn to ensure that no one was trapped beneath it.”
South Seberang Prai OCPD Supt Shafien Mamat said police were checking on the cause of the silo's collapse.
