GAS PIPELINE FIRE: VICTIMS TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AID FROM PETRONAS

SHAH ALAM, April  7 (Bernama) -- Homeowners affected by the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, will receive additional contributions of RM5,000 and RM2,500 each from Petronas depending on the extent of the house damage, said Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

He said the financial contribution of RM5,000 for homes that are categorised as a total loss and RM2,500 to those affected is in addition to the assistance announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim previously.

With the additional contribution, he said, those whose homes are categorised as a total loss would receive a total of RM10,000, while homeowners whose houses are affected or tenants would receive a total of RM5,000 each.

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"After the registration process closed at 6 pm yesterday, there are a total of 613 households from 437 houses registered, meaning there were houses with rooms for rent,” he said.

Amirudin said the first session of the distribution of contributions will be carried out by the state government today.

"Alhamdulillah, I think the 219 victims that have been confirmed will receive the contribution today. The Disaster Management Committee will call these people individually to inform them, and we expect everything will be done by this Friday at the latest," he told a press conference at the Selangor State Secretariat building here today.

Of the 437 houses inspected, 81 houses were confirmed to be a total loss with more than 40 per cent of the structure burned,  81 houses were categorised as partially destroyed, while 57 houses were burnt but did not suffer any structural damage and the remaining 218 houses were found to be unaffected.

 The prime minister, when visiting the fire site last Tuesday, announced an immediate aid of RM5,000 to owners of homes that were destroyed and RM2,500 to more than 100 homeowners whose homes were partially damaged.

Meanwhile, Amirudin said the state government would provide RM2,000 in house rental for six months to victims depending on the duration of the repair of their respective homes.

He said the assistance, amounting to RM7.356 million, was decided after considering complaints from victims regarding the temporary settlement provided by the Selangor Housing and Property Board (LPHS) in Kota Warisan, Sepang, which they felt was too far from their current homes.

“We expect to finalise everything by next week and will distribute the funds to the household heads. This financial aid will allow them to rent temporary accommodations.

“Some may be able to return to their homes within six months, while those whose houses were destroyed, may take longer to rebuild,” he said.

Amirudin also noted that under the previously announced Airbnb initiative, a total of 87 units are available.

Distribution of these temporary accommodations is expected to be held this Wednesday, with priority given to owners of homes that were a total loss, he added.

Meanwhile, he said that in light of the various forms of aid announced, including car and motorcycle loans, electrical appliance vouchers, zakat contributions, and state government support for house rentals, a dedicated website would be launched to track the distribution of these donations.

“The website will serve as a platform for registered victims and will allow our officers to report on the progress of aid distribution, including the percentage of assistance that has been channelled to the residents,” he said.

-- BERNAMA