Selangor top cop denies claims of death cover-ups in Putra Heights explosion

 

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the police had no reason to hide any information linked to the gas pipeline explosion.

SUBANG JAYA: 

Selangor police have dismissed online allegations that authorities are concealing fatalities linked to the gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights last Tuesday.

Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the claims were baseless and that the police had nothing to gain from hiding information from the public.

“It is not true that we are hiding deaths. Police have never done that and we also don’t gain any benefit from hiding a death,” he told a press conference at the incident site control post today.

Hussein urged anyone who believed a family member might have died in the incident to come forward and assist with investigations, as transparency remains a priority.

“I hope netizens stop these accusations. Don’t cause unnecessary panic,” he said.

“I’ve said it before. Police are investigating from many angles, including mechanical factors, environmental conditions, operations, safety and monitoring.”

The Petronas gas pipeline fire which broke out at 8.10am last Tuesday saw flames rising more than 30m with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius. It took almost eight hours to extinguish the fire.

According to the health ministry, 38 of the 146 victims are still undergoing treatment, 18 of them at government hospitals and the remaining 20 at private healthcare facilities.

None of the victims is in the ICU and no fatalities have been reported.

Hussein said the authorities were working around the clock to stabilise the affected area so that the initial technical report could be prepared.

“We’re still in the process of stabilising the land. To speed it up, we added more excavators yesterday and have now begun 24-hour operations,” he said.

“Initially, I said it would take two weeks. But now, the process can be completed earlier.”

Hussein also revealed that as of today, a total of 675 police reports had been lodged in connection with the incident.

Police have also recorded statements from 186 witnesses, including security personnel stationed at the site.

He also said efforts to retrieve a buried excavator at the scene are underway.

“We’re just waiting for the land to stabilise. If everything goes smoothly, we can begin extensive excavation tomorrow. Maybe in two to three days, the excavator can be brought out,” he said. - FMT