KUALA LUMPUR: Nearly a week after the gas pipeline fire and explosion in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya on Tuesday, a full investigation to determine the root cause of the incident has yet to begin due to the unstable condition of the site.
Efforts to stabilise ‘ground zero’ have become more challenging, as a large crater formed by the incident is now filled with water following several days of rain.
Selangor Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said several recovery phases need to be completed before a thorough investigation by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and the police can be conducted. This will be followed by inspection, repair and the eventual restoration of the gas supply line.
He said the recovery process involves heat mapping (ranging from 100 to 650 degrees Celsius) within a 300-metre radius, surface soil inspections, soil classification and the installation of sheet piles, with these works scheduled to begin tomorrow and continue until April 15.
“These steps are crucial to ensure the safety and stability of the ground before excavation can be carried out to expose the pipeline and gather physical evidence,” he said during a daily media briefing on the incident at the Putra Heights Incident Control Post today.
On its investigation from a criminal angle, Hussein said the police have recorded statements from 118 individuals, including contractors, subcontractors and workers involved in excavation and sewage pipe installation at the site.
He said the police have also excavated the path of the installed sewerage pipe and found that it was placed at a depth of 2.1 metres from the road surface.
“Further checks showed that excavation work by the contractor did not exceed three metres in depth, with a trench width of 1.5 metres. The installation extended more than 30 metres and was believed to be ongoing,” he said.
As of noon today, a total of 642 police reports have been lodged, including one claiming that firecrackers were being set off on Monday night (March 31), before the fire broke out the following morning.
Meanwhile, Hussein said safety inspections of affected homes have concluded today, with 220 of the 439 homes inspected declared safe and unaffected, while 219 were found to be damaged.
Of the damaged homes, 87 sustained severe damage exceeding 20 per cent, while 132 had minor damage of less than 20 per cent, with the latter being cleared for repair by homeowners starting today.
Separately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that 38 out of the 146 victims of the tragedy are still receiving treatment at hospitals and clinics. This includes 18 in government hospitals and 20 in private healthcare facilities. There are currently no patients in intensive care (ICU), and no fatalities have been reported.
Efforts to provide assistance to victims are ongoing with the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) allocating RM2,000 in aid for affected university students, who are also permitted to continue their studies online as the new academic session begins tomorrow.
The Petronas gas pipeline fire, which shocked the nation on Tuesday morning, saw flames soaring over 30 metres high, reaching temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. It took nearly eight hours to extinguish the fire completely.
