Bamboo veranda collapses during photo-call by tourists
KUCHING: It was a photo session that went wrong for a group of visitors from Peninsular Malaysia during their outing at Kampung Annah Rais near here on Thursday.
In the 4.30pm incident, 20 tourists decided to have their group photo taken on a bamboo veranda at the longhouse there, despite being advised against it by the villagers in view of the structure’s rickety condition.
“The villagers had told them that the veranda was built years ago and it could not possible hold the weight of 20 tourists at one time,” village headman Alex Man told The Borneo Post yesterday. He added that they were among the 120 tourists from the peninsula coming to visit the village located at Upper Padawan, near the Borneo Highlands Resort.
“They were really fascinated by the mountains and wanted it to become the background of their group photo. That’s why they wanted to gather on the veranda at one time as it provided the best platform to capture such majestic backdrop.
“Just as the camera shutter clicked, the bamboo veranda collapsed – bringing down all those with it,” he said, adding that none of the tourists suffered serious injuries.
Fellow villager David Mush Rakah, 80, said he was surprised by the crashing sound but once it he got outside, he could not believe that that the veranda had collapsed.
“We have always been advising visitors never to gather too many on the veranda at one time. It’s an old structure – the pillars are about 40 years old.”
Yesterday, political secretary to chief mi nister Edward Kurik visited the scene to see for himsel f the extent of the damage.
Met by reporters later, he said the repair works would be undertaken by the villagers themselves via ‘gotong-royong’ (work party).
“The vi l lagers wi l l run the ‘ gotong- royong’ using its available fund. This is the first of such incident ever to occur in Annah Rais – we assure you that this would not recur,” said Edward.
It is reported that the 20 tourists were given medical treatment by the villagers on the spot. Many of them admitted that it was their fault for not heeding the advice of the villagers.