Two Penang city council officers hurt in balloon explosion during Thaipusam
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A Hindu devotee in a trance state during a procession at the Thaipusam Festival in Kuala Lumpur.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
GEORGE TOWN - A balloon explosion during the Thaipusam celebration in Penang has left two Penang Island City Council (MBPP) officers injured.
The officers had seized the balloons from a trader along Jalan Kebun Bunga and were believed to be unloading them from a council pickup truck back in town when they exploded.
The incident occurred at 10.45pm on Sunday (Feb 1), just as dozens of stalls were winding down operations after the celebration.
The stall operator was believed to be a foreigner without a valid trading permit.
It is believed the balloons were filled with hydrogen, which, while cheaper than helium, is highly flammable.
Helium is non-flammable and safer for public use.
A video circulated online showed a truck loaded with balloons on fire before men approached with fire extinguishers.
MBPP mayor Datuk A. Rajendran confirmed the incident, adding that one of the victims was warded.
“Two personnel were injured due to a balloon which burst. One was warded while the other sustained light injuries.
“Investigations are underway,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
