Malaysia gas pipeline fire Excavator feared buried at site no bodies found say police

PETALING JAYA, Selangor – Early police investigations into the Putra Heights gas pipeline explosion have revealed that heavy excavation work was carried out by a contractor just 30m from the location of the April 1 incident, said Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan.

Datuk Hussein said an excavator and a backhoe were used during work carried out to replace an existing underground sewerage system in the area, and the work had ceased on March 30.

He said the excavator is believed to be buried in the soil after the gas pipeline blast.

“There was a backhoe and an excavator used to carry out the work. The backhoe was removed from the site a day before the incident, while the excavator was left behind,” he said.

On April 1, a massive fire triggered by a gas pipeline leak forced residents to flee their homes and injured more than 100 people during Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations in the town of Puchong in the state of Selangor.

Mr Hussein said investigations by the relevant authorities into the affected area of the pipeline were hampered by the unstable ground surrounding the site.

“The blast had altered the original landscape of the area, causing a hole that is 7m deep and 30m wide. It is surrounded by a crater and the ground is unstable,” he said. “Efforts to stabilise the soil around the affected area are ongoing... for investigations to be conducted safely.”

Mr Hussein was speaking at a press conference at the makeshift command control centre set up near the Putra Avenue residential area in Putra Heights on April 4.

“A report on the preliminary findings of our investigations would be ready only in about two weeks. Subsequently, it will take another two weeks for the full report on the disaster to be ready,