Fire Dept personnel share tales of harrowing moments at ground zero

KUALA LUMPUR: "We had to be careful with every step. The ground here is very soft. One wrong step and we could have been pulled in." These were the words which aptly described the anxious moments the Fire and Rescue Department's technical team faced when investigating the area around the crater formed by the gas pipeline...

Putra Heights inferno: Excavator feared buried at site, no bodies found, says S’gor police chief

PETALING JAYA: Early police investigations on the Putra Heights gas pipeline explosion revealed that heavy excavation work was carried out by a contractor just 30m from the location of the Tuesday (April 1) incident, says Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan. The Selangor police chief said an excavator and a backhoe were used to replace an existing...

Subang Jaya inferno: Sand and gravel spewed over houses kilometres away

KUALA LUMPUR: The gas line fire incident that occurred at Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights early Tuesday (April 1) was a tragic awakening to residents living nearby as it also caused 'sand and dust rain' not only around the incident area but up to several kilometres from the location. Nor Azian Jamil, 51, who lives in...

Subang Jaya inferno: Very low chance of secondary blast, says Bomba DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The likelihood of a secondary explosion following Tuesday’s (April 1) gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, is very low, according to the Fire and Rescue Department. Director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said this was because no gas flow was detected this evening after the closure of four main valves in Kampung Lombong...

‘Residents immediately evacuated at 8am because the heat was too strong’

PETALING JAYA: Soon after explosions were heard in Putra Heights, residents rushed to vacate their homes because the heat was too strong, a resident recounts. Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, a retiree, said he is working with the local community to shelter fire victims here. “The explosion was about 8.12am. Then people just evacuated...

Postpone all non-essential visits to southern Thailand, urges Wisma Putra

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians travelling to or residing in Thailand's southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat are urged to exercise caution and to remain vigilant following recent security incidents. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Sunday (March 9), also recommended Malaysians to postpone all non-essential visits to the provinces for the time being. As a precautionary measure,...

Chemical plant explosion: 32 were injured in Klang, say cops

KLANG: The police have confirmed that 32 individuals were injured in an explosion at a chemical recycling plant in Taman Perindustrian Kapar Indah, Klang, on Monday (Jan 20) evening. Klang Utara District police chief ACP S. Vijaya Rao stated that the injured individuals, aged between 20 and 40, were in the vicinity when the explosion occurred. "All...

No loss of life in Klang explosion, say Selangor police

PETALING JAYA: An explosion at a chemical factory in Klang has not claimed any lives, says Selangor’s police chief. Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, in a statement, confirmed that the incident occurred on Monday (Jan 20) at the Kapar Bestari Industrial Park in Klang. "Preliminary investigations showed that the explosion stemmed from chemicals kept at the factory...

What caused Ipoh blast? Perak PAS demands government explanation

IPOH: The government should officially explain the cause of the mysterious explosion that occurred here a few days ago, says Perak PAS. Its commissioner Razman Zakaria said the party together with the Ipoh community wanted to know what had caused the explosion. He said such mysterious explosions have occurred before but have not been explained by the...

No M’sians involved in Sg Golok blast, say cops

KOTA BHARU: Police have confirmed that the bomb that went off and the shots heard in the Gualosira area, Pasemas District in Sungai Golok, Narathiwat Province, early today did not involve any Malaysian residents in the bordering district of Pasir Mas, Kelantan. State Police Chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said instead, the explosion and gunfire occurred...