GAS PIPELINE FIRE: CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION AS SAFETY CHECKS CONTINUE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) -- Over 30 hours after the gas pipeline fire on Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, which startled the nation on Tuesday morning, attention has now shifted to the investigation into the incident’s cause and the safety checks being conducted at the scene.

Subang Jaya district police chief ACP Wan Azlan Wan Mamat said the recovery work was proceeding safely after Petronas’s inspection found no remaining gas in the pipeline.

Starting tomorrow, the authorities will assess the integrity of two more pipelines, whether they are still good or otherwise.

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The massive fire, which broke out at 8.10 am, caused significant damage, creating a 32-foot deep crater measuring about 70x80 feet in size.

The intense heat destroyed nearby residential properties, including vehicles, within a 500-meter radius of the incident.

Earlier, the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department sent an investigative team to inspect the crater, which included officers from Petronas, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health and the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia.

Additionally, Petronas personnel equipped with detection tools were stationed at the ground zero to check for residual gas, as well as the locations of the four gas pipeline valves to monitor gas pressure manually.

Regarding the victims, data from the Health Ministry as of 3 pm today showed that 31 people are still being treated at public hospitals in Putrajaya, Serdang, Klang and Kuala Lumpur, while 33 others are receiving care at private hospitals. No fatalities have been reported.

Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan also visited Putrajaya Hospital to assess the condition of the victims and ensure that the health facilities were properly equipped to continue treatment, particularly for burn injuries.

In the meantime, 432 people from 98 families are still taking shelter at two temporary relief centres (PPS), with 366 individuals from 84 families at the Putra Heights Mosque hall and 66 people from 14 families at the Subang Jaya City Council’s Camelia Hall.

Residents were also allowed to return to their homes briefly to retrieve personal belongings, with some taking the chance to rescue pets left behind during the incident.

Meanwhile, the Raja Muda of Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who visited victims at the Putra Heights Mosque PPS, has ordered the state government to relocate victims to more comfortable accommodations.

In response, Selangor Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi said they are exploring several methods to assist the victims, including offering subsidised rental homes to ease their burden.

At the same time, various government agencies, NGOs, welfare organisations, corporate entities and insurance companies are continuing to provide aid and services to ease the victims’ hardships, including the Road Transport Department, which will set up mobile counters at the PPS to assist with reissuing any lost or damaged documents.

-- BERNAMA