Putra Heights blaze: Weak soil beneath gas pipeline the root cause, no criminal element found
While the pipeline met technical specifications, a segment of it was not fully supported by the ground beneath, which was found to be soft and moist.
KUALA LUMPUR (June 30): Authorities have identified unstable soil conditions beneath a Petronas gas pipeline as the cause of the massive blaze that erupted in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor three months ago, displacing over 400 families.
Police investigations also found no criminal elements linked to the incident.
In a statement on Monday, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), which led the technical investigation, said that while the pipeline met technical specifications, a segment of it was not fully supported by the ground beneath, which was found to be soft and moist.
“This led to a physical failure in the pipeline, eventually causing a gas leak that sparked the fire,” DOSH said.
Metallurgical analysis confirmed that tensile overload was the main cause of the failure, DOSH said, adding that signs of cyclic loading, stress lines, and fatigue striations were identified on the pipe’s surface—all indicators of progressive damage over time before the eventual rupture.
The agency also clarified that the failure was not caused by surface-level activity, but rather by weak underground support that could not bear the weight and pressure of the pipeline.
The investigation, which spanned nearly three months, was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Minerals and Geoscience, Public Works Department, Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia, and the police.
The explosion, which occurred at 8.08am on April 1, affected 1,254 people from 308 families. The incident resulted in 87 houses being completely destroyed and 148 others requiring repairs.
In a separate statement, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the technical team found that the pipeline, in service since 2000, had been affected by land subsidence of 24.3cm over the past 25 years, leading to a pipeline displacement of 15.9cm.
Although the pipeline complied with technical standards, the failure was attributed to several environmental factors—including unstable soil, prolonged underground water retention, compromised monsoon drainage and culvert systems, climate-related stress, and dense urban development.
To prevent such tragedies from recurring, Amirudin said a special task force under the State Disaster Management Unit will be formed.
The task force—involving technical experts and Petronas—will recommend legal reforms, review planning approval procedures, and update development policies to better account for climate-related risks, particularly along gas pipeline Right-of-Way zones.
“This is a crucial step to strengthen the safety of Putra Heights and other vulnerable areas,” he said.
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Source: EdgeProp.my
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