The Artivist Network, Greenpeace Malaysia and RimbaWatch expressed dissatisfaction with various findings that authorities made in their investigations, claiming they missed several key issues.

These included the zoning of the pipeline and surrounding residential areas, Petronas Gas Bhd’s monitoring protocols, and whether an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report was prepared for the particular section of the gas line.

“They also did not address the environmental and public health impact of the 400 million standard cubic feet of gas released during the incident. This resulted in concentrations of an estimated 27,000 tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual emissions of over 7,000 vehicles, at the blast site.

“The sudden concentration of high-level greenhouse gases and combustion by-products is known to lead to severe respiratory issues and cognitive decline,” the NGOs said in a joint statement.

They said the proposed RCI should involve independent experts tasked with probing the root cause of the blaze, with their findings made public.

The RCI should also review existing gas line integrity measures, city plans and pipeline maps to ensure compliance with regulations, the NGOs added.

They also urged the Energy Commission to establish and enforce gas line safety standards, including buffer zones based on a potential impact radius formula.

“Ensure the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and EIA guidelines include mandatory buffer zones and technical risk assessments for offsite populations,” the statement read.

MIRI: Zon utara Sarawak terus mencatatkan jumlah kes kebakaran terbuka tertinggi bagi tempoh 15 hingga 31 Mac 2026, dengan Miri merekodkan kes paling banyak berbanding kawasan lain.

Penguasa Kanan Bomba I Ismaidi Ismail berkata, Miri terus menjadi fokus utama kerana jumlah kes kebakaran terbuka yang tinggi.

"Dalam tempoh dua minggu ini, sebanyak 271 panggilan kebakaran terbuka diterima di Sarawak dengan Miri mencatatkan 86 kes.

"Sibu dan Mukah masing-masing mencatatkan 43 dan 41 kes, manakala Bintulu merekodkan 32 kes dan Kuching 21 kes. Kawasan lain seperti Betong (14), Kapit (6), Sarikei (5) serta Limbang (2) mencatatkan jumlah lebih rendah, " Katanya ketika dihubungi, di sini hari ini.

Ismaidi berkata, pihak bomba Miri sentiasa bersiap siaga dan mempergiatkan rondaan serta operasi pemadaman untuk memastikan kebakaran dapat dikawal dengan segera.

Beliau turut menasihati orang ramai tidak melakukan aktiviti pembakaran terbuka, khususnya di kawasan tanah gambut.

KUCHING (April 1): Fire incidents across Malaysia have risen again this year after declining in 2025, with 12,938 cases recorded nationwide as of March 31, said Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Deputy Director-General (Operations) Dato Ir Ts Ahmad Izram Osman.

He said statistics over the past three years showed a fluctuating trend, but the number of cases had increased again this year.

“Based on statistics for the past three years — 2024, 2025 and 2026 — the trend is inconsistent, but we are seeing an increase again in 2026,” he told a press conference after gracing the Bomba Sarawak Excellent Service Award Ceremony at Dewan Majma Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah here.

Ahmad Izram said 12,938 cases recorded so far this year involved forest, bush and plantation fires, with bush fires remaining the most common type of incident, compared to 9,941 cases in 2025.

According to him, 13,182 bush fire cases were recorded in 2024, followed by 7,984 in 2025, before rising again to 11,147 cases recorded up to March this year.

“This year, within just three months, we have already recorded more than 12,000 cases involving forest, bush and plantation fires,” he said.

“Within just three months of 2026, we have already recorded more than 11,000 bush fire cases,” he said.

Several states recorded the highest number of bush fire incidents, with Kedah topping the list at 2,524 cases, followed by Johor (1,886), Melaka (1,010), Kelantan (937) and Perak (759).

For plantation and farm fires, Johor recorded the highest number with 359 cases, followed by Selangor (165), Perak (54), Kedah (29) and Kelantan (25).

Ahmad Izram said 1,047 forest fire incidents had also been recorded nationwide as of March this year, with Selangor reporting the highest number at 337 cases, followed by Kelantan (123), Penang (121), Sabah (113) and Kedah (102).

He attributed the rising number of fires to hot and dry weather conditions, which increase the risk of vegetation fires.

“We are seeing temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees Celsius in some areas, especially in the northern part of the peninsula, which increases the risk of bush and peatland fires,” he said.

He also noted that uncontrolled open burning, including slash-and-burn agricultural practices, remains a major challenge.

“Open burning that is not properly controlled can easily spread to nearby vegetation and plantations, especially during dry conditions,” he said.

To address the issue, Ahmad Izram said the department has mapped high-risk areas and intensified monitoring efforts, including increasing patrols at hotspot locations.

He said Bomba is also working with enforcement agencies such as the Department of Environment to curb illegal open burning.

“We do not have direct enforcement powers, but we assist enforcement agencies to ensure action can be taken according to the law,” he said.

Ahmad Izram added that the department is increasingly using technology such as drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to detect fires, particularly in peatland areas.

“We cannot rely solely on manpower to fight fires. We are now using drones with thermal imaging to detect hotspots, especially in peat soil areas,” he said.

He said firefighting operations involving bush and peat fires can take several days, with personnel often working extended shifts to contain the blaze.

“In some cases, operations can take more than a week, and our personnel sometimes have to work 24-hour shifts to contain the fires,” he said.

In Sarawak, Ahmad Izram said several fire incidents had been reported recently, including in Tatau, Daro and Senadin, with firefighting teams continuing operations on site.

DENGKIL, April 1 — The redevelopment project for dilapidated buildings at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SJKT) Dengkil here is progressing smoothly and is ahead of schedule, with completion expected earlier than originally planned, said Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh.

Wong said the project’s physical progress has reached 65.14 per cent compared to the original target of about 50 per cent in March, placing it 15.14 per cent ahead of schedule and approximately 70 days ahead of the contract timeline.

“With this excellent contract performance, we hope to bring forward the project completion date from the original target of Oct 12 this year.

“Based on current progress, we are working to accelerate it further to about 90 days ahead, but what is important is that the project is expected to be completed before the contract period ends,” he told reporters after a working visit to the project site today.

Elaborating, Wong said the RM13.3 million project was approved in 2022 under the Second Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) to fully replace the old buildings, which had been classified as dilapidated and unsafe.

He said the project scope includes the construction of two main blocks — an administration block and an academic block housing eight classrooms — as well as a new preschool building with two classrooms and a conducive open hall space.

“Once completed, all facilities including desks, chairs and learning amenities will be fully in place, enabling teaching and learning to be carried out immediately in a more comfortable environment,” he said.

He added that the overall project also includes the construction of a new sewerage system and basic facilities, including furniture and learning infrastructure.

“Although there are minor issues involving coordination with agencies such as Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) and Air Selangor, we are confident these can be resolved through close cooperation,” he said.

Wong said student safety remains a priority throughout the project as the school continues to operate with staff and students present during school days.

“I observed that safety aspects such as hoarding installation and site management have been very well implemented by the contractor and the Public Works Department Malaysia,” he said.

On recurring flood issues at the school, he said improvements to the internal drainage system are being carried out under the project, while awaiting the implementation of a flood mitigation project by the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) at a nearby river. — Bernama