PUTRA HEIGHTS FIRE: POLICE RECORD STATEMENTS FROM 186 WITNESSES

KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 (Bernama) -- Police have so far recorded statements from 186 witnesses to assist in the investigation into the gas pipeline fire incident in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said that in addition to 138 victims of the fire, statements were also taken from six representatives of the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia, a representative from the Land and Mines Office, as well as those from the Royal Malaysia Police, Petronas, Subang Jaya City Council, Ministry of Health, developers, contractors and an expert from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

“A total of 774 police reports have also been received in relation to the incident as of 8 am today,” he said when contacted.

Hussein added that Petronas Gas Berhad, the Public Works Department (JKR), and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health are currently carrying out repair works at the incident site.

“The Drone Unit of the PDRM Air Unit continues night-time aerial surveillance at the ‘ground zero’ to assist the Incident Control Centre (PKTK) in monitoring maintenance work in the area,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hussein said the ‘Op Mega Pembersihan’ entered its second day today in Taman Putra Harmoni and Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru areas, which have been declared safe by the Selangor Fire and Rescue Department and JKR.

He said 137 PDRM officers and personnel are involved in the operation, with 40 assigned to security duties and 97 to clean-up efforts.

The fire that broke out at 8.10 am on April 1 saw flames soaring over 30 metres high, with temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius that took nearly eight hours to be fully extinguished.

-- BERNAMA