Malaysia gas pipeline fire: No foul play, negligence found, say police

SHAH ALAM – An investigation by Malaysia’s Occupational Safety and Health Department has revealed that ground instability led to the

gas pipeline explosion in Putra Heights in Puchong, Selangor, on April 1

.

Petroleum Safety Division director Husdin Che Amat explained that the lower part of the pipeline was not adequately supported by the soft and moist ground. “This caused a physical failure at the pipe segment at the location of the blast, resulting in gas leakage, which ignited and exploded,” he said.

Mr Husdin added that the weak soil caused the pipe to move repeatedly, known as cyclic loading, generating stress lines and fatigue striations on the pipe surface.

Metallographic analysis indicated that tensile overload was the primary cause of the failure, developing slowly until it resulted in ductile failure, releasing gas and triggering a fire.

“In conclusion, the pipe failure was due to the ground beneath it not being strong enough to support its weight and pressure, causing instability, leakage and eventually an explosion,” Mr Husdin said.

However, investigations found that the gas pipe had met specified technical standards. The mishap was not due to surface activities but because the ground beneath did not provide adequate support.

Selangor police chief commissioner Hussein Omar Khan confirmed that there were no acts of sabotage or carelessness involved in the blast.

Datuk Hussein said police investigated the incident under Section 435 of the Penal Code for committing mischief by fire, and Sections 285 and 286 for negligence with fire or combustible matter.

Investigations also focused on work carried out by contractors in the area.

Mr Husdin also said monitoring of the pipeline is conducted periodically by Petronas through its internal systems, reported Malaysian daily New Straits Times (NST) on June 30.

He noted that advancements in pipeline inspection, including the use of intelligent pigging technology, now enable the detection of pipe displacement – something older methods could not do.

Pigging technology involves sending a device known as a “pig” – short for pipeline inspection gauge – through a pipeline to assess its internal condition.

Modern intelligent pigs are equipped with advanced sensors that detect issues such as corrosion, cracks and pipe displacement. This allows operators to monitor pipeline integrity and identify potential problems early, helping to prevent failures such as leaks or explosions.

Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari announced that a special committee will be established to implement measures to prevent similar tragedies.

The explosion, which occurred just after 8am on April 1, resulted in a massive fire that destroyed homes, public infrastructure and vehicles, and injured around 150 people including children.

It caused flames to shoot over 30m high, with temperatures reaching up to 1,000 deg C.

The heat from the fire melted plastic and metal over a wide area, with flames visible from kilometres away.

It took almost eight hours to extinguish the fire, which left a 9.8m-deep crater at the site.

More than 500 residents were evacuated to relief centres, and some of those whose houses were completely destroyed have yet to return home as repairs are expected to take at least two years.

In total, 227 homes and 365 vehicles were damaged in the surrounding residential areas, reported NST. Petronas has since identified four other locations within its 2,680km gas pipeline network that exhibit similar ground stability issues.

Immediate corrective actions have been ordered at these sites following discussions with the Occupational Safety and Health Department. Long-term safety improvements are also being planned by Petronas to prevent future incidents.

Following the disaster, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the federal government, along with Petronas and the Selangor government, would help rebuild and repair the properties damaged by the blast, NST reported. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK