SANDAKAN: The popping sound of cracked tiles in a shopping mall caused panic, with a widely-shared video clip showing customers and shop owners rushing out for fear of a building collapse.
The management of Harbour Mall Sandakan later said claims of an impending collapse were false.
It said a loud noise had been heard, coming from the fourth floor of the mall. “It was caused by a small section of floor tiles that popped (cracked) this morning,” the management’s statement said. “There are no structural issues as claimed by some irresponsible parties,” the statement read.
Enforcement officers from the Construction Industry Development Board later inspected the building and only found a few cracked tiles in one shoplot.