SEPANG, May 27 — Police investigations into the Putra Heights gas pipe inferno last month have been completed, Selangor police chief Commissioner Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said today.
Hussein said the police findings will be released alongside the Department of Occupational Safety and Health’s (DOSH) report on the gas pipe specimen, which is still pending.
“At present, ground zero has been handed over to Petronas Gas Bhd for restoration works.
“We are expecting the DOSH report to be ready by the end of June. Accordingly, we will release our findings at that time as well,” he told a press conference here.
Asked whether the cause of the explosion had been determined, Hussein said it remains inconclusive for now, pending DOSH’s findings.
On April 30, Hussein said adverse weather conditions were hampering ongoing on-site excavation works at ground zero, causing delays in extricating the affected pipes.
He said the final pipe specimen was extricated on May 8.
As for the buried excavator, Hussein said the machine had not been retrieved because the ground is still being stabilised following the extrication of the affected gas pipe.
“Work to retrieve the excavator will be carried out at an appropriate time, after the recovery work is completed.
“Even though it is not a top priority, we cannot disregard it as part of the investigation process,” he said.
On April 1, a gas pipeline rupture in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya caused an inferno to break out, scorching and severely damaging the surrounding residential areas for hours, where the pipe had traversed.
