KUCHING, 6 APRIL – A building that houses a paint shop and is over 100 years old in Padungan experienced a front wall collapse early this morning.

According to the Chief of the Padungan Fire and Rescue Station, Tan Min Chai, the incident is believed to have occurred when the timber beams supporting the main structure of the building became dislodged, leading to the complete collapse of the front wall.

"The fire department arrived at the scene within five minutes after receiving the emergency call and immediately instructed all occupants on both floors of the building to evacuate for safety reasons," he told RTM today.

To prevent any unwanted incidents, the fire department also installed warning tape around the affected area after noticing significant cracks on the exterior of the building.

Min Chai confirmed that no casualties were reported in the incident.

The building has now been temporarily closed for a thorough structural inspection by the relevant authorities.

Meanwhile, he noted that this incident marks the second occurrence within a week involving structural collapse in the Kuching area.

"Last Monday, a house in Kampung Goebilt experienced a floor collapse after the timber beams supporting it broke due to rot," he said.