GAS PIPELINE FIRE: EXCAVATION WORK NEAR SITE OF FIRE HAD STOPPED TWO DAYS BEFORE INCIDENT - POLICE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- Police confirmed that soil excavation work had been carried out to replace a sewage pipe 30 metres from Tuesday’s gas pipeline fire incident area in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, that caused immense damages.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said however, excavation work had stopped on March 30, two days before the incident.

"We have identified contractors and backhoe machinery for the sewage pipe replacement work. In fact, the police also found that there was an excavator that was also submerged.

"Did this excavation activity cause an explosion? This need to be collected to obtain evidence as to whether such work caused the explosion," he said during a press conference at the scene here today.

Meanwhile, Hussein said the police had opened an investigation paper to ascertain if there were criminal elements involving treason and negligence.

He said so far police had recorded 56 statements, including from victims, developers, contractors and witnesses on the day of the incident.

"Four contractors and four sub-contractors have been summoned to record their statements and investigate to find out how deep they dug the soil to install the sewage pipe.

"We have also identified the main witness, a security guard of the lot shop who was 30 metres from the blast site which also caused injuries to the victims," he said.

Hussein said so far no victims had been reported dead in the incident as a result of investigations by the Marine Force, the Detection Dog (K9) Team and the Forensic Investigation Unit who surveyed, inspected the river nearby and around the scene.

However, Hussein said his department was still conducting investigations if there were possible victims in the buried excavator.

At the same time, Hussein said they had so far received 20 vehicle dashboard recordings from social media and witnesses to the incident to assist investigations.

"From the video, we identified witnesses to the incident and checks are still being carried out to assist investigations," he said.

--BERNAMA