Second Explosion Unlikely Says Fire And Rescue Department

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Taman Putra Harmoni residents listening to a briefing from the authorities this afternoon. Residents have been allowed to return to their homes to retrieve their belongings or pets. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: The fire and rescue department said the possibility of a second explosion following the massive gas pipeline fire near Putra Heights this morning is “very low”.
The department’s director-general, Nor Hisham Mohammad said this was because they had not detected any gas leak after the four main pipeline valves were shut off, Bernama reported.
Earlier today, the pipeline valves in Dengkil, Puchong, Batu Tiga and Meru were shut off to release the remaining natural gas and help extinguish the fire.
The unlikelihood of a second explosion meant the department’s investigators could now enter the site to investigate the cause of the fire, Nor Hisham said.
He also said residents could return to their homes to retrieve their belongings or pets.
“For the time being there is no electricity in the vicinity,” he was quoted as saying.
Nor Hisham said 237 houses were damaged, while the total number of victims was 305, with a majority of them suffering light injuries.
Bernama had earlier quoted a retired senior fire officer as saying that the fire could have been caused by a “boiling liquid expanding vapour explosion” phenomenon.
Hamdan Wahid, a former director-general of the fire and rescue department, said it could have been due to leaked flammable gas, causing gas vapour to linger in the air before an ignition triggered a massive explosion.
Meanwhile, the health ministry said 100 people are being treated for injuries in the gas pipeline blast.
In a statement, the ministry said as of 6pm, of the 100 victims, 12 were in critical condition (red zone), 50 suffered moderate injuries (yellow zone) and 38 were treated for minor injuries (green zone).
The ministry said a majority of them were treated at the Serdang, Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, Ampang and Kajang government hospitals. Private hospitals like Subang Jaya Medical Centre and Avisena also received patients. - FMT

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