Police expand Putra Heights fire investigation to include possible crime, negligence

Police expand Putra Heights fire investigation to include possible crime, negligence



Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain visits the gas pipeline fire site at Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, April 7, 2025. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Monday, 07 Apr 2025 4:16 PM MYT


SUBANG JAYA, April 7 — Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said police are investigating potential criminal elements and a broader scope of negligence in their probe of the Putra Heights gas pipeline explosion.

At a press conference today, he said that more than 10 agencies are currently involved in investigating the disaster.

He said that negligence isn’t always the sole factor — environmental conditions or system pressures could also contribute to what happened.

“There are many aspects of negligence. Negligence doesn’t involve just humans. If there is ground movement below, and high pressure from water flow, and various other factors could also be the cause. That’s what we discussed earlier,” he said after a closed door police briefing session here.

Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan yesterday said that the Petronas gas pipeline involved in the Putra Heights explosion must be fully exposed before determining whether a contractor’s excavation works interfered with it.

Hussein said that the physical condition of the said pipeline did not show any obvious disturbance.

“Whether the contractor’s excavation works disturbed the pipeline route cannot be determined at present until the entire pipeline in the area is exposed and further investigated,” he added.

Hussein said that police investigations so far, found that the sewage pipeline installed by the contractor was at a depth of 2.1 metres, while the Petronas gas pipeline lay 5.6 metres beneath the road, suggesting a 1.6-metre separation between the two.

The explosion, which rocked the Putra Heights neighbourhood on the second day of Hari Raya, damaged 219 homes and displaced hundreds of residents.