'Man-made and preventable': Residents sue over Putra Heights blast

A total of 36 Putra Heights residents have initiated legal action over the April 1 gas pipeline explosion that destroyed numerous homes and left hundreds injured.

In a statement today, a residents’ committee for the Topaz and Citrine neighbourhoods in Putra Heights said they filed the lawsuit at the Shah Alam High Court yesterday via Tommy Thomas’ law firm, with the former attorney-general acting as the plaintiffs’ lead counsel.

Named as respondents in the suit are Petronas Gas Berhad, Hong & Hong Homes Sdn Bhd, Pinterest Ventures Sdn Bhd, the Subang Jaya City Council, and the government of Malaysia. 

Taman Putra Harmoni residents claim that six months after the explosion, many of them are still displaced, living with relatives or in temporary accommodations, while some continue to receive ongoing care and rehabilitation treatments for injuries sustained.

“Children are traumatised, waking at night in fear. We are all still searching for answers and accountability.

“By filing this civil suit, we seek not only compensation for what we have lost, including our homes, our health and our peace of mind, but we also seek truth and accountability. We wish to be vindicated in the court of law,” they stressed. 

They also asserted that the disaster was “man-made and wholly preventable”, alleging that while a gas transmission pipeline ran “dangerously close” beneath their homes, safeguards were “inadequate”.

“Construction works above the pipeline were permitted, despite residents raising concerns.

“Even after the explosion, we were left in the dark. Investigations have been opaque, and repairs were carried out without full disclosure to those whose lives were destroyed,” they added.

They argued that the legal action should also be viewed as a plea for justice, recognition of their suffering, as well as systematic change in how safety is protected and lives valued. 

“We continue to hope that those responsible will come forward, that authorities will act transparently, and that the law will deliver the justice we deserve,” they said.

Flames shooting 30m into the air

The fire involving the Petronas gas line on the second day of Hari Raya saw flames shooting more than 30m into the air, with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius, transforming the surrounding landscape into a large crater.

The disaster destroyed 81 houses with structural damage exceeding 40 percent, while another 81 were partially damaged. Fifty-seven houses were affected but not burnt.

On June 30, the Occupational Safety and Health Department (Dosh) revealed that the pipe involved in the explosion was not fully supported by the soil around it due to cyclic loading, causing a weakness in the welded joint that broke apart and started the fire.

Dosh Petroleum Safety Division director Husdin Che Amat said this happened despite the pipe itself meeting technical specifications.

On July 8, the Selangor state assembly was similarly informed that excavation works neither caused the explosion nor triggered the resulting blaze.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said investigations by the police, the Minerals and Geoscience Department, and Dosh confirmed that the groundworks did not impact the gas pipeline.

Amirudin also refuted allegations that a developer had carried out unauthorised construction near the Petronas Gas reserve, clarifying that the company had complied with Petronas’ safety conditions and obtained formal approval to proceed with works on March 20.

He added that the reconstruction and repair works for the affected homes are ahead of schedule. 

Earlier, then-Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said investigations into the incident had been classified as no further action after criminal probes found no elements of negligence, foul play, or sabotage that could have caused damage to the gas pipeline and triggered the explosion. 

The conclusion, Hussein said, was based on technical investigations conducted following the explosion of the underground gas pipeline.

Putra Heights blast: Stop building houses near gas pipelines, MP urges

Excavator couldn't have caused Putra Heights fire - deputy minister

MB pans opposition's Putra Heights boycott, offers two expert panel seats

Putra Heights blast not linked to excavation works, says Selangor MB

'No cover ups': MB to brief S'gor reps on Putra Heights fire

Putra Heights blast: PAS slams report for blaming only soil, pipeline