While the events in Oklahoma were unfolding, an emergency of a completely different nature was developing half a world away in Malaysia.

Construction was well underway on the 1.4 mile, $275 million Sungai Prai Cable Stay Bridge in Pinang when engineers realized they had a problem. An improperly poured concrete slab atop a pile cap at one of the two primary stay-support piers threatened to compromise the strength of the entire structure, and attempts to remove the granite-hard block with conventional demolition equipment had proven unsuccessful.

With each day's delay resulting in mounting financial losses, specialist blasters Pieter Uittenboogaard of Zandaam, Netherlands and Yeo Boon Chin with Orientech Engineering of Bedong, Malaysia were contracted to remove the concrete with explosives. Precise calculations were absolutely critical, as any cracks occurring in the attached blinding layer of concrete - or worse, any shifting of the piles below - would cause a far larger problem.

As an added complication, political conditions in the remote region of the country made conventional explosives impossible to secure, and the team was forced to perform the task using a combination of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (ANFO). Yet another complication related to the remote location was the lack of drilling equipment, and laborers were forced to hand-drill each blast hole using antiquated drills with dull, badly over-used attachments. As Uittenboogaard stated on site, "We have not worked in this way for 30 years, but we must use the tools we have to complete the job."