Legal action will be taken against the parties concerned if there is an element of negligence in the bridge-collapse incident in Serdang on Tuesday.

Works Minister Baru Bian in a statement today said his ministry through the Board of Engineers Malaysia will gather information from the local authority concerned on the engineer and contractors involved in the construction of the bridge.

He also confirmed that the collapsed bridge was not under the supervision of the Public Works Department (PWD), but came under the jurisdiction of the Kulim Bandar Baharu District Council in Kedah.

"Action will be taken under the Registration of Engineers Act 1967 and the Construction Industry Development Board Act 1994 if any element of negligence is found,” he said.

In the 10.15pm incident at Taman Serdang, Muhammad Haikal Hakimi Mohd Noor and Mohamad Haziq Ishak, both aged 17, were killed when they were buried under mounds of rubble when the bridge collapsed

Baru said PWD Bridge Design and Forensic Engineering Division was currently investigating how the incident had taken place, and a detailed technical report on the bridge collapse was expected to be ready in two weeks’ time.

He said initial investigations found that the collapse was caused by landslips at the bridge abutment which led to it shifting and causing a water pipe along the bridge to burst.

The construction of a new bridge would take into account several factors including the water flow of the river, slope erosion and other technical aspects, he added.

- Bernama