Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi has confirmed that the chassis number of the vehicle found at the site of the Menara Umno lightning arrestor collapse at Jalan Macalister here matched rice seller Lim Chin Aik's car.

He said the discovery solved the case of the 44-year-old man who was reported missing since the day of the incident.

"We received a missing persons report from his wife the day after the incident. We found the details provided matched the evidence discovered today," he told reporters at the site of the mishap here on Saturday.

Abdul Rahim said the victim's body was yet to be recovered and the search and rescue team was working hard at the site.

So far only car parts such as tyres, engine and bumper have been recovered, he added.

Lim's wife, Lee Chai Song, 48, had reported that her husband was driving a gray Honda City when he went to pick up their youngest daughter from the Penang Chinese Girl's High School at Jalan Gottlieb about 6.30pm on Thursday.

Earlier this evening, the rescue team found broken car parts at the site bringing the number of damaged cars in the mishap to eight.

Meanwhile, state executive councilor Phee Boon Poh said he was informed that the broken parts were from a Honda City car believed to belong to a man who was reported missing since the day of the incident.

A survey at the site found that rescue efforts were being hampered by collapsing earth around the five-meter hole caused by the lightning arrestor pole as it was filled by water from a burst underground pipe.