SHAH ALAM: The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has confirmed that the gas pipe involved in the Putra Heights explosion in April complied with all technical specifications.
However, laboratory tests revealed that the pipe’s lower section lacked proper soil support, leading to the catastrophic failure.
DOSH Petroleum Safety Division director Husdin Che Amat explained that the soil beneath the pipe was soft and damp, causing repeated stress on the structure.
“This cyclic loading created stress lines and fatigue striations, weakening the pipe over time,“ he said during a press conference today.
Metallographic analysis confirmed that tensile overload was the primary cause of the rupture.
“The damage developed gradually until it resulted in a ductile failure, releasing gas and igniting the explosion,“ Husdin added.
Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and State Police Chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan were present at the briefing, which detailed the findings of the investigation.
