KUALA LUMPUR — Six days after a gas pipeline explosion and fire rocked Putra Heights in Subang Jaya, Selangor the final physical assessment of affected homes was completed this morning.
Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said the results of the assessment will be presented to the relevant authorities later this afternoon.
At the crater site formed by the explosion, the current focus is on removing accumulated rainwater to allow safety inspections to resume.
According to Nor Hisham, the assessment of the crater is expected to take more time as it involves coordination between JBPM and several external agencies.
Private company MSA Safety is also assisting operations by providing more than 10 gas detection devices, enabling emergency teams to safely enter the site and conduct a detailed investigation.
MSA Safety gas detection expert, Nur Fadhilah Mohd Khalid, told reporters at the site that the devices are being loaned to authorities for as long as needed, by the company which is an American manufacturer and supplier of safety equipment.
The devices are of two types, one that can detect detect gas leaks within an approximately 10 feet radius and is suitable for use in confined and open spaces, and the other which “operates in diffusion mode”.
“It absorbs gas when in close proximity to a source. Both models will emit an alarm if hazardous gases are detected,” she said, adding that if the alarm is triggered, users must immediately evacuate the area.
As of 12 noon today, a total of 375 victims from 96 families remain at the temporary relief centre at the Putra Heights Mosque.
The gas pipeline fire on April 1 displaced 1,254 people from 308 families, and burned 87 homes. Another 148 were also sustained damage, with some cleared for reoccupancy by their residents, and others needing repairs.
A press conference with the latest updates on the incident is expected to be held at 4pm today by Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan at the Incident Control Post. – April 6, 2025