PUTRA HEIGHTS FIRE: POLICE CONTINUE INVESTIGATION INTO POSSIBLE CAUSES

KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (Bernama) -- Police are continuing their investigation into the cause of the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, which has now entered its eighth day. The fire which erupted on April 1 saw flames rising over 30 metres and temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said that authorities are examining multiple factors, including mechanical failure, environmental conditions and operational issues.

The mechanical investigation is looking into the possibility of structural collapse, corrosion or damage due to human activity, while the environmental investigation is assessing whether underground water movement and natural erosion could have caused the pipeline to rupture.

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Investigators are also examining potential negligence or criminal elements, while focusing on the maintenance operations of the gas pipeline system and its equipment, he said.

Hussein further clarified that the investigation is being conducted in cooperation with other technical agencies and dismissed any claims of efforts to conceal details, including fatalities.

Moreover, he said police have not received any reports of stolen property, but 120 officers have been stationed at key intersections in Putra Heights to protect residents' belongings.

He also confirmed that 270 of the 437 homes affected by the fire have been cleared for occupancy following assessments by the Fire and Rescue Department, the Public Works Department (JKR) and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB).

Meanwhile, Selangor's Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk Ir Izham Hashim said that electricity and telecommunications services in the area are expected to be fully restored by Friday.

At present, the Health Ministry reported that 39 out of the 150 people affected by the fire are still receiving treatment. Of these, 17 are in government hospitals and 22 in private facilities, including a 21-year-old man in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Additionally, the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) has identified 24 victims eligible for rehabilitation assistance, while vehicle management company SPANCO has donated 55 motorcycles to residents, primarily from Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru.

The fire, which took nearly eight hours to be fully extinguished, destroyed 81 homes and severely damaged another 81, with 57 homes affected but not burned, while another 218 homes were unharmed.

-- BERNAMA