BANGKOK (Reuters) -Myanmar's junta said on Wednesday its troops fired warning shots at a Chinese Red Cross aid convoy, underlining the challenge of delivering relief amid a civil war as aid groups called for better access to help survivors of a devastating earthquake.

The military has struggled to run Myanmar following its coup against the elected civilian government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, reducing the economy and basic services including healthcare to tatters after civil war broke out.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the aid team and supplies were safe, and called on all parties in Myanmar to ensure the safety of rescuers.

"It's necessary to keep transportation routes for relief efforts open and unobstructed," Guo Jiakun told a press conference.

The firing came as the death toll from Friday's 7.7-magnitude quake rose to 2,886, with 4,639 injured, Myanmar state media said.

The rural parts of hard-hit Sagaing region were mostly under the control of armed resistance groups fighting the military government, the International Crisis Group said.

"They will be among the most challenging for aid agencies to reach, given regime restrictions, a complex configuration of local administrations and control by armed resistance groups, and the persistent conflict," it added in a statement.

Even before the quake, the ICG said, information had been hard to gather from such areas, because of a junta blackout of internet and mobile phone networks as part of the conflict.

"Soldiers are everywhere in the town," a man who travelled to Sagaing told Reuters. "They are there for security, not for rescue. They check every vehicle."

New York-based Human Rights Watch urged the junta to allow unfettered access for humanitarian aid and lift curbs impeding aid agencies, saying donors should channel aid through independent groups rather than only junta authorities.

"Myanmar's junta cannot be trusted to respond to a disaster of this scale," Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a report.

"Concerned governments and international agencies need to press the junta to allow full and immediate access to survivors, wherever they are."

The military has dismissed as misinformation accusations that it committed widespread atrocities as it fought against a multi-pronged rebellion that followed the coup.

Rebels have accused the military of conducting airstrikes even after the quake and on Tuesday a major rebel alliance declared a unilateral ceasefire to help relief efforts.

MILLIONS AFFECTED

The United Nations said there were more than 28 million people in the six regions affected by the quake, and it had $12 million in emergency funding for food, shelter, water, sanitation, mental health support and other services.

"The situation remains critical, with disrupted communications and road access hampering response efforts, particularly in Sagaing," the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) said.

Australia announced a further A$6.5 million ($4.1 million) in humanitarian support for Myanmar, supplied "through thoroughly vetted international and local partners".

In a statement on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, "We take proactive steps to ensure our assistance does not legitimise the military regime in Myanmar."

A woman in Mandalay, near the quake epicentre, told Reuters that authorities were building a stage for this month's Thingyan water festival, though many people were homeless, with bodies left under collapsed buildings.

The military council has rejected requests from international journalists to cover the quake devastation, citing the lack of water, electricity and hotels.

In neighbouring Thailand, the death toll from the quake rose to 22 on Wednesday, with hundreds of buildings damaged.

A search for survivors in the rubble of a skyscraper under construction in the capital, Bangkok, entered its fifth day with a change in role for some rescue dogs at the site, where 15 people died and 72 are missing.

Officials said two dogs were reassigned to provide emotional support for the families of those missing.Children patted the golden retrievers wearing light-up vests in a temporary shelter, while others spoke softly to them.

It brought a small sense of comfort, said Chanpen Keawnoi, whose mother and younger sister are missing.

"They said as long as the dog keeps barking when it hears a signal, there’s still a chance someone could be alive," she said.

The government is investigating the collapse and initial tests showed some steel samples from the site were substandard.

(Reporting by Bangkok Bureau, Shoon Naing; Writing by John Mair; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

SUBANG JAYA: The cause of the gas pipeline fire has yet to be identified, says Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohamad.

This comes amid claims that the fire was caused by construction work near the pipeline.

"It is too early to say," he told reporters here.

"An investigation will be conducted by all the relevant agencies led by the Police and the Department of Occupational Safety and Health," he said.

He said more information would be divulged once the investigation was completed.

"There are many statements being made following this incident, but we cannot verify these claims yet," he said.

Earlier today, a massive fire broke out at a Petronas gas pipeline in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, causing widespread panic as flames shot up in the air.

The heat from the flames — visible from kilometres away — were said to have melted plastic and metal located within a wide radius of the pipeline.

The fire was reported to have been accompanied by several explosions that shook the ground. The flames set off fires in several houses as the pipeline is located near residential areas.

There were also reports that several people were trapped in burning houses, even as the authorities began evacuating residents from the nearby areas.

More than 100 people have been injured so far and are being treated at hospitals and a temporary medical base at the Sri Maha Kaliamman Temple.

Dozens of firemen are still battling the flames in an attempt to prevent it from spreading.

The valve for the gas has been shut off, and the fire is only expected to be extinguished later today once the remaining gas in the pipeline runs out.

The Selangor Disaster Management Unit has activated a temporary evacuation centre at Putra Heights to assist residents, while traffic along the Elite Highway has been diverted.

PUCHONG – Kebakaran yang berlaku di kawasan pipeline Seksyen 13, Jalan Harmoni, Putra Heights masih dalam kawalan, namun pihak berkuasa mengingatkan penduduk agar tidak menghampiri kawasan yang terjejas bagi mengelakkan sebarang risiko.

Berdasarkan maklumat awal yang diterima daripada Petronas, terdapat tiga saluran paip utama di lokasi kejadian dengan saiz diameter masing-masing 36 inci, 36 inci dan 30 inci.

Kawasan yang terbakar melibatkan saluran paip di antara gate valve 210 hingga gate valve 211, sepanjang 18 kilometer.

Manakala, laluan pipeline dari gate valve 211 ke gate valve 212 berukuran 14 kilometer turut terjejas dalam insiden ini.

Sebagai langkah keselamatan, Petronas telah menutup empat gate valve utama, termasuk gate valve 210 dan 211 yang ditutup pada jam 8.46 pagi dan 8.51 pagi.

Namun, tekanan gas dalam saluran paip masih wujud, menyebabkan api terus marak sehingga kesemua gas dalam sistem terbakar sepenuhnya.

Petronas juga telah menjalankan kerja-kerja pelepasan gas di beberapa gate valve utama untuk mempercepatkan proses ini.

Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia, Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad berkata, pihaknya kini sedang memantau situasi bagi memastikan kebakaran dapat dikawal sepenuhnya.

“Kebakaran ini berpunca daripada tekanan gas yang masih berada dalam pipeline, jadi kami perlu menunggu sehingga gas tersebut habis terbakar sebelum melakukan pemadaman penuh.

“Kami juga telah mengerahkan anggota bomba untuk melakukan pemantauan ketat bagi mengelakkan sebarang risiko letupan atau kebakaran merebak ke kawasan lain,” katanya dalam sidang media di sini.

Beliau juga menasihatkan penduduk supaya tidak menghampiri kawasan saluran paip yang masih aktif bagi mengelakkan sebarang insiden tidak diingini.

Dalam usaha memastikan tiada mangsa yang tertinggal, pihak polis dan bomba telah menjalankan pemeriksaan ke atas 49 premis, termasuk 37 rumah di Taman Harmony dan 12 rumah di Kampung Sungai Baru.

Pemeriksaan kedua akan dilakukan bagi memastikan tiada penduduk yang terperangkap, terutama mereka yang tinggal bersendirian atau gagal melaporkan keadaan mereka kepada pusat operasi.

Setakat ini, kebanyakan mangsa mengalami melecur di bahagian kaki akibat letupan awal, dengan 63 orang telah dihantar ke hospital termasuk Hospital Serdang, Hospital Putrajaya dan hospital berdekatan.

Tiada kematian dilaporkan buat masa ini.

Punca kebakaran masih dalam siasatan, dan pihak berkuasa tidak menolak kemungkinan terdapat kerja-kerja penyelenggaraan atau aktiviti berhampiran pipeline sebelum kejadian berlaku.

Namun, sebarang spekulasi masih terlalu awal dan penyiasatan menyeluruh sedang dijalankan.

Penduduk sekitar Subang Jaya dan Putrajaya dinasihatkan supaya menjauhi kawasan pipeline, terutamanya sekitar blok 211 hingga blok 212, bagi mengelakkan sebarang insiden berulang.

Pihak Petronas sedang memantau pelepasan gas dan memastikan tiada risiko letupan susulan.

Perkembangan lanjut mengenai insiden ini akan dimaklumkan dari semasa ke semasa. – MalaysiaGazette

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia mungkin tidak terletak dalam Lingkaran Api Pasifik, namun negara ini masih berisiko mengalami gempa bumi akibat pergerakan zon sesar aktif, kata Pakar Geologi Kejuruteraan dan Mekanik Tanah, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Dr Nor Shahidah Mohd Nazer.

Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas kenyataan Pakar Geologi Sabah, Prof Dr Felix Tongkul yang meramalkan kemungkinan gempa bumi sehingga 6.5 skala Richter boleh berlaku di Malaysia, khususnya di daerah Ranau dan Lahad Datu, Sabah.

"Saya bersetuju dengan pandangan Prof Dr Felix bahawa Malaysia tidak mempunyai sesar aktif sepanjang Myanmar, tetapi kita tetap mempunyai zon-zon sesar aktif yang boleh mencetuskan pergerakan plat dan mengakibatkan gempa bumi.

"Bukit Tinggi di Pahang, sebagai contoh, adalah antara kawasan aktif, tetapi gegarannya masih dalam kategori rendah kerana pelepasan tenaga yang minimal," katanya ketika dihubungi, hari ini.

Menurutnya, walaupun risiko gempa bumi kuat di Malaysia adalah rendah, ia tidak bermakna negara ini boleh mengambil ringan aspek kesediaan menghadapi bencana alam.

"Kita perlu meningkatkan kajian dan pemantauan terhadap zon sesar yang berpotensi untuk aktif serta mengambil langkah berjaga-jaga dari segi pembinaan bangunan yang tahan gegaran di kawasan berisiko," katanya.

Terdahulu, Dr Felix dalam kenyataannya berkata, gempa bumi besar berpotensi berlaku di Lahad Datu dalam beberapa tahun akan datang, memandangkan kali terakhir gempa kuat berlaku di kawasan itu adalah pada 1923 dan 1976.

Dalam sejarah Malaysia, antara gempa bumi terbesar yang pernah direkodkan ialah di Lahad Datu dengan magnitud 6.2 pada 26 Julai 1976 dan 6.3 pada 11 Ogos 1923.

Sementara itu, gempa bermagnitud 6.0 di Ranau pada 5 Jun 2015 turut mengakibatkan kemusnahan serta korban nyawa di Gunung Kinabalu.

Dr Nor Shahidah turut menegaskan kepentingan pemetaan kawasan berisiko tinggi serta mempertingkat kesedaran dalam kalangan masyarakat mengenai bahaya gempa bumi di Malaysia.

"Walaupun kita bukan dalam Lingkaran Api Pasifik, tetapi kesan pergerakan plat tektonik di negara jiran tetap boleh memberi impak kepada kita," katanya.