Anand Ghnavello, Halliwell

Fire losses: Penang Bridge ruling shows why the first days on site matter most

Anand Ghnavello, Halliwell

October 19 2026

In February 2021, fire damaged the Penang Bridge, one of Malaysia’s most important pieces of public infrastructure. More than five years later, the High Court of Malaya has ruled on its cause, ordering Tenaga Nasional to pay RM10.5 million (US$2.6 million) to Projek Lebuhraya Usahasama.

The court heard two explanations. One was that an external rubbish fire, started by a discarded cigarette, was to blame. The other was that electrical arcing, associated with existing mechanical damage to high-voltage cables, caused the fire. The court rejected the first and accepted the second.

Having given evidence that played a key role in the court’s assessment, I believe the court’s reasoning holds a clear lesson for insurers and claims professionals across the region: early evidence capture is critical in complex fire losses.

The scene is the evidence

The court placed significant weight on evidence gathered during the immediate site investigation. I attended the scene with an electrical engineer, and we examined and documented the physical evidence before site conditions changed. That evidence matched automated fault records and was supported by damage observed on surviving cable sheaths.

That combination matters. A theory can seem persuasive on paper long after an event, but a conclusion based on direct physical examination and tested against independent data carries weight.

Moreover, investigation scenes are often quickly altered post-event: debris is cleared, structures are made safe, repairs start, and weather takes over. Once this occurs, critical questions in disputes often can’t be answered.

Early attendance should be standard practice

Sometimes, forensic attendance on complex losses is treated as a discretionary cost, commissioned only once a dispute looks likely. By then, it can be too late. International forensic standards recognise that the treatment of an incident scene predetermines the quality and quantity of information later available as evidence in court.

The scene should therefore be recorded before anything changes. That means agreeing with the parties that clearance and repairs wait until it has been documented and relevant items retained, with a clear chain of custody.

Fault records, maintenance logs and system data can corroborate physical findings, so they should be requested early in proceedings.

Above all, the investigation must stay evidence-led, capturing everything, including what does not fit the expected explanation. Any gaps are exactly what another expert will find.

This doesn’t just apply to cases that end up in court. Most disputes settle, and parties negotiating from well-documented evidence are in a stronger position to reach a fair outcome.

A high bar for infrastructure operators

The decision also reinforces the high standard of care associated with managing high-voltage electrical infrastructure. Where those systems sit alongside public assets such as a major bridge, the consequences of failure extend well beyond the operator.

For insurers on both sides of such risks, the condition and maintenance of electrical systems will be central to any causation dispute. That evidence, too, is best captured early.

Getting it right at the start

This matter demonstrates why early attendance can be critical in complex fire investigations. Examining and documenting physical evidence at the scene provides a stronger foundation for understanding what occurred and for assisting the court.

Desktop analysis and expert debate have their place. But they are only as good as the evidence underneath them, and that evidence is at its most complete in the first days after a loss.

Anand Ghnavello is director of forensic services for Asia at Halliwell and is a certified fire and explosion investigator.

MORE FROM: Comment

  • Claims: Same asset, different market: why regulatory fragmentation changes how insurance responds in Asia

    • October 5

    Asia’s insurance market comprises many countries, each operating under its own rules, practices and market norms. These differences influence not only how insurance is placed, but also how it performs when tested by a loss. Commentary on Asia’s compelling growth story can sometimes overlook the complexity and distinctiveness of the individual markets that make up […]

  • Infrastructure: Data centres are racing ahead of the rules built to insure them

    • September 21

    Data centres have become a defining infrastructure story of the AI era, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. A single hyperscale facility can now draw more than 100MW, and in Malaysia alone roughly 13GW of data centre capacity is either planned or already under development. Behind every one of those numbers sits a construction and […]

  • Risk management: Insurance lessons from one of China’s deadliest industrial accidents in recent years

    • July 20

    The explosion at a Chinese fireworks factory at the start of May is a reminder that the true value of an insurance program is tested not when a policy is purchased, but when catastrophe strikes. The fire at the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Company in Liuyang, Hunan province, claimed 37 lives, injured 51 people, […]

  • Insurtech: 6 AI trends reshaping the industry

    • February 25

    AI has become the defining technology of our time, entering the hands of everyday consumers and employees faster than any innovation in recent history. The speed of adoption has been remarkable, mirrored by an equally intense wave of hype, but real business impacts are beginning to surface. What was once the domain of specialised data […]

Partner Content
Join the mailing list Designed to help you stay ahead, our daily newsletter provides a round-up of the latest news and insights, delivered straight to your inbox.
Print Edition
Subscribe to receive our quarterly print magazine.