KUALA LUMPUR, April 6 — The Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) has yet to start its investigation at the site of the gas pipeline blast in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, as authorities work to stabilise the area.
Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the ground is unstable due to the explosion and recent rain.
In a press conference held at the incident command post in Putra Heights, Hussein said the authorities must first ensure the area is safe before any investigative work.
He said a temporary diversion of the monsoon drain, which crosses the Petronas gas pipeline, was carried out and completed today.
“The first phase of stabilisation includes heat mapping (100-650°C) within a 300m radius of the blast site. In the second phase, we will ensure soil safety and stability before proceeding with excavation to expose the gas pipeline and locate any physical evidence,” Hussein said.
The second phase, which includes ground scanning, soil grading, and sheet pile installation, will run from tomorrow until April 15. Hussein noted that the process will take time, especially due to the deep crater left by the blast.
“Given the current rain, we first need to pump out the accumulated water, which could take up to seven to 10 days. Another challenge is that we need to remove the soil layer by layer until we reach a depth of 6m after installing sheet piles.
“Once that is done, we will document the site with videos and photographs to assist in the investigation. This process will take another two weeks, and only then will we be able to issue a preliminary report,” he added.
The Petronas gas pipeline fire, which broke out at 8.10am on Tuesday, saw flames reaching over 30m high, with temperatures soaring to 1,000°C. It took nearly eight hours to fully extinguish the blaze.
A total of 219 houses were affected, while 220 were confirmed to be safe and unaffected by the incident.
— Bernama
