Car jockey in KL nightclub blast dies

 

The car jockey who was seriously injured in the bomb explosion in front of a nightclub at Sun Complex in Bukit Bintang has died.

Twelve others including foreigners were injured in the molotov cocktail incident believed to be due to a ‘turf war’ between secret societies.

The incident is believed to be the first to have happened at an entertainment outlet in the country.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Gan Kong Meng when contacted, confirmed the death of the jockey identified as Tiong Kwong Yie, 36.

The Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) public relations unit said in a statement today that the deceased passed away while undergoing surgery.

Ten victims are still receiving treatment at KLH, while two, at Gleneagles Hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

The statement said seven of the victims were locals while four were from China, one from Singapore and one from Thailand.

Earlier, Kuala Lumpur CID deputy chief ACP Khairi Ahrasa told reporters that an unidentified individual had flung two bombs from the Level Two parking bay at the Sun Complex in the incident at around 4.20am.

According to him, one of the bombs exploded in front of the nightclub but the other remained inactive underneath a Toyota Camry parked in the vicinity, which had since been cordoned off.

Bomb Disposal Unit experts from the city police contingent headquarters, City Hall’s Towing Unit personnel and a fire truck from the Jalan Hang Tuah fire and rescue station were also at the scene.

Aside from the Toyota Camry, three other vehicles, a Toyota Vellfire, Mazda and BMW were in the vicinity.

The bumper of the Vellfire was ripped off in the explosion while black spots and glass shards could be seen on the road near the vehicle.

The second bomb was detonated by the bomb disposal team at 12.35pm.

Nearby business premises including the Public Bank and Hai-O store were temporarily closed while the explosive was being defused.

Federal Hotel manager Shaun Sylvester, 29, said he heard a loud noise outside his premises and asked the security guard to find out what happened.

“I saw a crowd gathering; some individuals were covered with blood and some were panicking,” he recalled to Bernama.

He also saw taxi drivers and members of the public helping to send victims to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Kamarul Baharin, 41, a tourist guide, said he had just left the area with some clients when the incident happened and was glad they were safe.

- Bernama