Putra Heights inferno: No gas detected in pipeline, recovery work deemed safe, say cops

KUALA LUMPUR: The recovery work in the area of the gas pipeline blaze at Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, is currently safe, as no gas content has been detected in the pipeline, say Asst Comm Wan Azlan Wan Mamat.

The Subang Jaya OCPD said that PETRONAS had conducted an inspection and found that the pipeline did not contain gas.

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“The PETRONAS team is still monitoring the gas content in the pipeline, and so far, the pipeline has been found to be empty.

“The Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) is still conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the pipeline explosion, including the integrity of the pipe itself,” he told reporters at the Incident Control Post in Subang Jaya on Wednesday (April 2).

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He mentioned that the authorities will assess the integrity of two more pipelines, whether they are still in good condition or otherwise, starting Thursday (April 3).

Meanwhile, ACP Wan Azlan said no bodies were found during the search operation conducted by the Forensic Unit and the Royal Malaysia Police K9 Unit to detect the possibility of any victims trapped at the incident location.

“We are worried if there are relatives of the residents who were left behind or unable to leave this area. Alhamdulillah, the result of the search for bodies was negative, meaning no bodies were found, and the forensic team has taken soil samples at the location for further study,” he added.

On Tuesday (April 1), the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad confirmed that a total of 237 houses were affected in the 8.10am blaze on Tuesday.

There are 305 victims, with most of them injured due to burns and inhalation of hot gases. – Bernama