THE Fire and Rescue Department today hinted that the December 4 gas explosion at the CityONE mall in Kuching last month could be due to incompetent workmanship and the taking of “short cuts” in the installation of the piped gas system to the yet-to-be-opened fried chicken restaurant.

The late afternoon explosion also injured 41 people, with 10 listed in serious condition.

The injuries range from fractures to severe burns.

State fire chief Khirudin Drahman, at a media conference after attending the department’s yearly gathering the Tabuan Jaya station in Kuching, would not state what caused the blast but did say “it would be a court case”.

He said the department had also written to the utility company that installed the gas pipeline to “revisit” the regulations on ATI (approval to install) and ATO (approval to operate).

Khirudin also spoke on the need for companies dealing with gas work to fully comply with the MS 830:2013 code of practice of the Department of Standards Malaysia on the storage, handling and transportation of liquefied petroleum gases and MS 930:2017 on the installation of fuel gas piping systems and appliances.

“They must have competent people to do the job,” he said when asked on the status of the department’s investigations.

“Never compromise on safety.”

Khirudin, who said the investigation papers on the incident had been completed, also said his department had written to the state’s utilities ministry to ensure that there is compliance of the regulations and the state’s local government ministry to inspect all gas pipeline installations before this. – January 23, 2019.