Pontian Baru fire and rescue station chief Mahadir Mamat said Alfarid Ahmad, 19, and Amaluddin Hisamudin, 22, died in the incident which occurred at about 1pm, Bernama reported.

He said the bodies were retrieved from beneath the rubble two hours later and handed over to the police for further action.

The three injured men were taken to Pontian Hospital for treatment.

The collapse also triggered a small fire, which was extinguished with assistance from the Malakoff emergency response team.

Malakoff Corporation later said an internal investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident. The area has been secured as a precautionary measure, and the investigation will begin once rescue operations are fully completed.

The company said the workers involved were employed by contractors.

Operations at the company’s two Tanjung Bin power plants were not affected, Malakoff said.