GEORGE TOWN: Six construction workers, all foreign nationals, have been detained to assist in investigation involving the death of their housemate yesterday.
Southwest district police chief Superintendent A.A. Anbalagan said in the 3.05pm incident, a 29-year-old Myanmar construction worker was pronounced dead on arrival at the Penang Hospital.
A doctor who attended to the victim immediately alerted police to the death.
Anbalagan said checks conducted revealed the victim, identified as Hla Min, died due to head injuries.
"Investigation at the scene found it to be a condominium project site in Bayan Lepas.
"The victim was found with a bloody head by a colleague in a toilet on the 22nd floor. At that time, he was still alive," he said today.
Anbalagan said the victim's disappearance came to light after he did not collect his packed lunch which prompted his supervisor to order the other workers to look for him. Hd was later found covered with blood.
"When found, the victim was still alive and was rushed to hospital using a St John Ambulance ambulance. He was pronounced dead on arrival.
"We managed to retrieve the victim's cellphone and shoes inside the toilet along with a metal rod with blood stains and what is believed to be pieces of skin outside the toilet. The victim's sling bag was nowhere to be found," he added.
A post-mortem conducted this morning revealed the victim died as a result of head injury due to blunt force trauma.
"Following the latest development, we picked up six of the victim's housemates to assist in the investigation
"They comprised five Myanmar nationals and one Indonesian, aged between 25 and 44," he said, adding that the case was being probed under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
