Empire Tower, Empire Soho tenants allowed to collect belongings

A longview of the Empire Shopping Gallery together with Empire Tower/Soho September 28 2011. Picture by Choo Choy May

SUBANG JAYA, Sept 29 Empire Tower and Empire Soho tenants are now allowed to collect their belongings from their units, the Empire Shopping Gallery management announced this evening.

In a statement here, the malls general manager May Woo said tenants would first have to register at the entrance of the shopping center before being escorted to their units by police personnel.

Upon registration, a maximum of two people from each unit will be escorted by the police up to their units to retrieve any belongings that is urgently needed, she said.

The statement added that registration counters were set up from 8.30am this morning and will remain open until 6pm today and all day tomorrow.

Normal operations, however, are still suspended for both properties and the mall will remain closed to the public pending clearance from safety officials.

The statement said investigations on yesterdays gas explosion at the mall are still ongoing and the Fire and Rescue Departments forensics unit is expected to release a preliminary report within 24 hours.

Let me stress that safety is unequivocally our highest priority. We will do whatever necessary under this circumstance to facilitate our tenants convenience, Woo said.

Further information can be obtained through the malls website at www.esg.com.my, Twitter (Empire SHGallery.com) or through its hotline at 018-7012880.

In the early morning blast yesterday, a gas leak at an eatery caused an explosion that ripped through the newly-built mall, damaging five floors and injuring four.

The Empire Gallery complex comprises the 12-storey Empire Tower (office suites), nine-storey Empire Soho (small office home office), 10-storey Empire Hotel and the five-storey shopping mall.