An Indonesian construction worker was killed in a landslide near a construction site in Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur, this afternoon.

Darman (left), 35, from Lombok Timur, was found at about 6.50pm, nearly three hours after he was buried.

The deceased's friend and fellow worker Celsend, 20, from Sabah said he was working about 100 metres from the scene when the landslide occurred.

"I heard someone screaming 'it's a landslide, your friend is buried'," he told malaysiakini while waiting for rescuers to find the body.

Looking anxious, he said he knew Darman for several years as they had worked together at a construction site in Shah Alam.

"He has been working in Malaysia for several years," Celsend added.

A site supervisor who only wished to be identified as Din said the project at the site is for the Bukit Tenaga apartment.

"We are building 200 units. The contractor is Peter's Construction. The project is scheduled for completion in 2007," he told reporters.

Happened suddenly

Din revealed that over 30 workers, mostly Indonesians, are working at the site.

Denying any negligence for the mishap, he said, "we have the necessary safety measures here but the landslide happened all of a sudden".

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operation) Md Ali Ismail (left) who led the rescue team of 21 personnel reasoned that the landslide probably occurred because the hill slope was cut at too narrow an angle.

He said the police will have to investigate whether the landslide was due to negligence.

Meanwhile, Seputeh parliamentarian Teresa Kok urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall to issue a stop-work order at the site until steps are in place to prevent such a tragedy from recurring.

"I understand that there was another landslide near this construction site three months ago," she said after witnessing rescue work in the area which is part of her constituency.