Analysis of Royal Inquiry Report on the collapse of a building in Kuala Lumpur: Implications for developing countries

Abstract

Purpose

Malaysia, which is in an intermediary phase of development and industrialization, has experienced various magnitudes of disasters ranging from biological, structural collapse, fires and explosions, landslides to meteorological incidents. The first major disaster that could be linked with the development of the country was the collapse of a four‐storey building in 1968. This article describes how, by applying a grounded theory approach, examination and analysis of archival data were conducted to identify the phases and latent errors of this landmark disaster.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded theory approach was utilized to develop a substantive theory of socio‐technical disaster preconditions.

Findings

Data indicated that the disaster had developed in phases as found by other disaster scholars. Regulatory failures were found to be one of the main causes of the disaster. The disaster appeared to be an inevitable consequence of the inability of the laws and regulations to keep in tandem with the rate of development and industrialization of the nation.

Originality/value

The discussion of the implications of the disaster will be of particular value for developing nations.

Citation

Aini, M.S., Fakhru'l‐Razi, A., Daud, M., Adam, N.M. and Abdul Kadir, R. (2005), "Analysis of Royal Inquiry Report on the collapse of a building in Kuala Lumpur: Implications for developing countries", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 55-79. https://doi.org/10.1108/09653560510583833