Malaysia to spend 12 1m to repair homes damaged by gas pipeline inferno in Selangor

SUBANG, Selangor – The Malaysian government has allocated RM40 million (S$12.1 million) for repairing and rebuilding dozens of homes damaged in a hugegas pipeline explosion in Selangor, even as investigations into the April 1 incident continue.

Homes that suffered more than 40 per cent damage and require reconstruction will receive up to RM300,000 each for construction costs, while those that do not require reconstruction will have up to RM150,000.

Homes that are less than 40 per cent damaged will receive up to RM30,000 each.

Reconstruction work will begin this week in the Taman Putra Harmoni estate, starting with homes within a 100m radius of the blast site.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said on April 30 that the RM40 million will come from the National Disaster Relief Housing Fund.

“The government, through the fund, will allocate RM40 million for repairs and reconstruction of the affected Putra Heights houses. This is an unprecedented and most comprehensive repair and reconstruction work ever carried out by the federal government,” he said at a news conference.

“It will be a strategic collaboration with the private sector, and those who contribute will be given tax exemptions as an incentive for more parties to lend a helping hand.”

The government has also allocated an additional RM6 million for road and infrastructure repairs.

A ruptured Petronas gas pipeline resulted in a huge inferno shooting up dozens of metres into the air in Taman Putra Harmoni, in the residential district of Putra Heights.

The intense heat from the fire, which lasted for seven hours, rose as high as 1,000 deg C, officials said.

Some 455 people were forced to flee the housing estate. A total of 150 people were injured, many of them with second- and third-degree burns.

Of the 219 homes damaged, 81