“Tak kira bangsa atau agama apa, saya tetap bantu sesiapa sahaja yang memerlukan,” kata sukarelawan, Shermina Farissa Ali, 24, yang membantu mangsa letupan saluran paip gas di Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) Masjid Putra Heights di sini.

Pelajar Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) berketurunan Cina-Melanau itu berkata dia terpanggil untuk menyertai misi bantuan selepas melihat hebahan di Instagram universiti.

“Saya memang tak kisah latar belakang kaum atau agama seseorang. Niat saya hanya mahu bantu mereka yang memerlukan,” katanya yang membesar di Kuala Lumpur dan kini menetap di USJ.

Shermina juga kagum dengan semangat terbuka mangsa di PPS, meskipun pada awalnya ada sedi- kit kekeliruan di- sebabkan penampilannya.

“Saya gunakan Bahasa Melayu bila berkomunikasi dan mereka sangat menerima. Saya rasa ini yang istimewanya tentang rakyat Malaysia kerana dalam waktu susah, kita tetap saling membantu,” katanya.

Seorang lagi sukarelawan, Eldric Ong Wei Chuen, 21, juga tidak kekok berada dalam kalangan mangsa berbangsa Melayu walaupun ini pengalaman pertamanya menyertai misi bantuan seperti itu.

Pelajar tahun pertama jurusan perubatan Unimas itu berkata, dia terdorong untuk menyertai selepas melihat hebahan menerusi WhatsApp dan Instagram kelab sukarelawan universiti. “Walaupun saya Cina, saya tak pernah rasa janggal. Saya tinggal di Klang, jadi rasa bertanggungjawab nak turun bantu.

“Bagi saya, kalau ada sesiapa perlukan bantuan, tak kira bangsa, saya akan bantu,” katanya.

Menurut Eldric, sepanjang tiga hari membantu di PPS, dia dan rakan-rakan ditugaskan mengagihkan sumbangan barangan keperluan seperti pakaian dan makanan.

Tambahnya, insiden itu membuka mata ramai pihak bahawa semangat perpaduan masih utuh dalam kalangan rakyat Malaysia. “Saya lihat ada ramai juga dari kaum India dan Cina datang bantu. Malah, ada sukarelawan Cina yang buat pertama kali masuk ke masjid kerana PPS diadakan di situ.

“Inilah Malaysia sebenar. Dalam kesusahan, kita tetap bersatu.” katanya.

In response to the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, the Selangor government has rolled out a series of initiatives to support those affected.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced that the Selangor Housing and Real Estate Board would provide over 100 temporary housing units.

The housing units are located in Kota Warisan, Sepang, while additional locations will be announced through the Selangor SMART Sewa scheme.

“If all goes well, victims will be settled in their SMART Sewa homes or Airbnb units, with locations determined within a week or two,” he said at a press conference at the Putra Heights Mosque relief centre.

He was joined by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Selangor investment, trade and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han.

The second group of victims, comprising occupants of 115 houses deemed safe for reoccupation, will return after technical authorities confirm the safety of the structures and reconnection of utility services.

The fire, which occurred at 8.10am on Tuesday in Jalan Putra Harmoni, affected 1,254 people from 308 families.

A total of 87 homes were destroyed, while 148 houses sustained damage requiring repairs.

In a separate initiative, Chery Malaysia began distributing temporary replacement vehicles to victims.

The company handed over 25 sports utility vehicles out of the 50 promised, with fuel worth RM100 provided for each vehicle.

This effort is part of a broader initiative, with companies like Carsome, Carro, Gocar, and Drbhicom also pledging vehicles.

Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad and Warisan TC Holdings Berhad also jointly deployed at least 30 vehicles under a loan programme to assist families during this challenging period.

Moreover, to assist students from affected families, Amirudin said Yayasan Islam Darul Ehsan will provide school supplies and uniforms for children who are due to start school on Monday.

The initiative is in line with the wishes of Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Additionally, the Education Ministry has announced RM1,000 in assistance for affected staff, teachers and students.

In response to the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, the Selangor government has rolled out a series of initiatives to support those affected.

Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced that the Selangor Housing and Real Estate Board would provide over 100 temporary housing units.

The housing units are located in Kota Warisan, Sepang, while additional locations will be announced through the Selangor SMART Sewa scheme.

“If all goes well, victims will be settled in their SMART Sewa homes or Airbnb units, with locations determined within a week or two,” he said at a press conference at the Putra Heights Mosque relief centre.

He was joined by Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Selangor investment, trade and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han.

The second group of victims, comprising occupants of 115 houses deemed safe for reoccupation, will return after technical authorities confirm the safety of the structures and reconnection of utility services.

The fire, which occurred at 8.10am on Tuesday in Jalan Putra Harmoni, affected 1,254 people from 308 families.

A total of 87 homes were destroyed, while 148 houses sustained damage requiring repairs.

In a separate initiative, Chery Malaysia began distributing temporary replacement vehicles to victims.

The company handed over 25 sports utility vehicles out of the 50 promised, with fuel worth RM100 provided for each vehicle.

This effort is part of a broader initiative, with companies like Carsome, Carro, Gocar, and Drbhicom also pledging vehicles.

Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad and Warisan TC Holdings Berhad also jointly deployed at least 30 vehicles under a loan programme to assist families during this challenging period.

Moreover, to assist students from affected families, Amirudin said Yayasan Islam Darul Ehsan will provide school supplies and uniforms for children who are due to start school on Monday.

The initiative is in line with the wishes of Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Additionally, the Education Ministry has announced RM1,000 in assistance for affected staff, teachers and students.

The danger of encroachment near gas pipelines in residential areas has become stark, with police revealing that excavation work was done close to the site of the Putra Heights gas blast. Meanwhile, some 200 factories are believed to have been crippled by gas supply cuts.

PETALING JAYA: Excavation work was carried out by a contractor just 30m from where the gas pipeline blew up in Putra Heights on April 1.

A backhoe used for the work was removed from the site a day before the disaster, while another excavator is missing and believed to be buried in the soil following the blast, according to preliminary police investigations.

Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the excavator and backhoe had been used to dig up soil to replace an existing underground sewerage system in the area.

The excavation work had stopped on March 30.

Police have identified and questioned a developer, sub-contractor and workers who were involved in the construction work near the blast.

“Whether the excavation work led to the explosion can only be determined after further investigations. We need time to find out.

“As of now, PETRONAS has not detected any leak in its pipelines that may have caused the blast (prior to the explosion).

“If there had been a leak, it would have been detected by the company’s central sensors and monitoring systems. According to the Fire and Rescue Department, a gas leak alone would not have caused the explosion.

“There had to be a source of fire to trigger it,” he said in a much-awaited press conference at the makeshift command centre near the Putra Avenue residential area in Putra Heights.

It was reported that current guidelines set a minimum safety distance of 30m from highpressure gas pipelines, but experts suggested that the buffer zone be extended to between 50m and 100m to enhance safety.

Comm Hussein said investigations by the relevant authorities were made difficult by the ground’s instability.

“The blast altered the original landscape of the area, causing a hole that is 7m deep and 30m wide. It is surrounded by a crater and the ground is unstable.

“Efforts to stabilise the soil around the area are ongoing before investigations can be conducted safely. As such, a report on the preliminary findings can only be ready in about two weeks.

“It will take another two weeks for the full report on the disaster to be ready,” he added.

Comm Hussein said a twopronged investigation was being carried out, with the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) investigating breaches in worksite safety and other requirements, while police are probing elements of negligence or foul play.

“To date, we have recorded the statements of 56 people including victims, the developer, subcontractor and workers.

“Among them is a security guard who witnessed the blast from a row of shophouses being built 30m from the blast site. He was also injured in the fire.

“We would like to find out from him if any other activities had taken place before the blast, such as excavations or burning.”

Comm Hussein said there were no fatalities, although police had received claims that someone had jumped into a river 50m away. However, marine police had not found any body.

“A police tracker dog unit also searched the crater and found no bodies or body parts.”