KUALA LUMPUR –The Putra Heights pipeline explosion case is yet to be classified as a criminal case pending full investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the explosion, so no responsible parties can be revealed yet, says Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan.
Hussein said that police are currently summoning individuals to have their statements taken.
“We would not immediately accuse anyone over any actions that could have caused the incident,” he said in a press conference held at the Incident Control Post at Jalan Putra Harmoni 1/3, Subang Jaya.
“Our focus is on the cause of the accident, and once we have completed the probe, then only can we narrow down on the responsible parties.
“Therefore, there is no reason to reveal the name of the (involved) companies yet.”
He made the comments following a question by reporters on the identities of the contractor, main contractors, and subcontractors involved in an excavation work for a sewage pipe replacement near the accident site.
In the press conference, Hussein also revealed that police had recorded statements from 118 witnesses, including 15 contractors, subcontractors, and workers involved in the excavation works.
Police have also received 642 reports, including one from a person who claimed that people were playing with firecrackers at the blast site on the night of March 31.
Hussein, however, dismissed the idea that firecrackers could have caused the explosion, noting that it occurred on the eve of the accident and nothing notable happened that night.
Police are still waiting for the outcome of the full investigation, he added.
“We welcome information from the public, and we have received video clips that police have gone through one by one, which could aid in the investigation as we are trying to determine the cause of the explosion from every angle.
“Police are looking from a criminal angle, and the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) is looking from the aspect of occupational safety.”
Gas pipe and sewage pipe 1.6m apart
Hussein also said that police had dug up the sewage pipes and found that they were installed at a depth of 2.1m from the existing road level. These digging works are being carried out and monitored by Petronas, the Public Works Department, DOSH, TNB, Air Selangor, the Survey and Mapping Department, and the contractor.
The investigation found that the excavation works done by the contractors did not exceed 3m along the road. Police excavation works are ongoing to expose the area and inspect the position of the Petronas gas pipes, believed to be at a depth of 6 to 7m.
Hussein said police found that the gas pipes were at a depth of 5.6m from the road level, indicating a distance of 1.6m between the sewage and gas pipes. Additionally, the physical condition of the pipe showed no obvious signs of disruption.
“Whether the excavation works by the contractor have disrupted the pipe route is yet to be determined at the time being until the whole pipeline in that area has been exposed and further investigated,” added Hussein.
The gas pipeline fire, which occurred at 8.10am on Tuesday, April 1, saw a fireball rise over 30m high, with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius. It took nearly eight hours to be fully extinguished by 3.45pm.
The explosion displaced 1,254 people from 308 families and completely destroyed 87 houses. Another 148 houses were damaged but remained habitable. – April 6, 2025