IPOH: It was a sour experience for customers at a salted chicken shop when part of the building collapsed due to drainage work carried out near the place.

One of the supporting pillars of Happy Delicious Salted Chicken along Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar gave way during the underground work by the Ipoh City Council.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said there were no casualties.

“Right now, we are using forklifts to support the building but I’ve told our officers to get the council to do something about it, too,” he said, adding that they were informed about the collapse at 11.24am yesterday.

One witness said he saw people running away from the building.

“We heard a loud noise. Everyone was frantic.

“They ran away when someone said that the road and part of the building were going to collapse,” he said.

A manager of the shop declined to comment when approached.

He was busy removing belongings from the shop with the other workers.

However, the 42-year-old shopowner said she was stunned by the incident although she was glad no one was hurt.

A city council representative said the affected shops could lodge a police report to claim damage from the council.

Ipoh mayor Datuk Zamri Man said he would look into the matter and would visit the area.

The city council plans to upgrade Jalan Dato Tahwil Azar to improve the place as it is a tourist spots in the city.

The project, costing RM3.5mil, started this month.

The allocation was meant to upgrade the drains, resurface the roads and install street lights.-thestar