KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — Final safety assessment at ground zero of the Putra Heights gas pipeline disaster is expected to be completed tomorrow.
Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Nor Hisyam Mohammad said the findings would then be presented to the Selangor Disaster Management Committee.
“This final assessment only covers the crater site itself (ground zero) and does not include areas where infrastructure was affected.
"We are also currently conducting water extraction operations at the crater site following overflow due to yesterday’s rain,” he told Bernama when contacted today.
Yesterday, Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the preliminary technical investigation report on the cause of the fire and gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, on Tuesday (April 1) is expected to be ready within two weeks.
The impact of the massive explosion had altered the original structure and landscape of the area, rendering it unstable.
The fire at the Petronas gas pipeline, which occurred at 8.10am, saw flames soaring over 30 metres high with temperatures reaching 1,000°C, taking nearly eight hours to be completely extinguished.
87 houses have been declared as "total loss” in the aftermath of the disaster, while 148 other affected houses that sustained damage are deemed to be safe and can be occupied after repairs.
Over 300 people were displaced and are being sheltered at two temporary relief centres. However, no fatalities were reported.
— Bernama
