09.02.2026

Fatal spider lift incident in KL

A man died on Friday night while travelling a spider lift using the remote controller in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The man, 32, was preparing to fix a sign on one of the buildings and was travelling the machine, a new 17 metre Zoomlion ZX27AE. The incident occurred on Jalan Perak, in the historic centre of the city.

The investigating authorities said that the preliminary evidence indicates that the lift struck the edge of the pavement/sidewalk and overturned onto the operator. Two cars were also damaged, with one of the occupants sustaining minor injuries.

Authorities have launched a full investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 to determine if the contractor had the necessary work permits from Kuala Lumpur City Hall and to verify the ownership of the crane. Police are also looking at CCTV footage from the area

Vertikal Comment

Driving a narrow aisle spider lift in its narrow track state is without question risky, it is the nature of the beast. Before you ask, this model is 890mm wide and has a fixed track width. Sadly, had the operator been walking on the other side of the machine or keeping a distance, he would be alive today. A message for anyone using a machine of this type.