RESIDENTS in Section 32, Sri Muda, Shah Alam had to be temporarily evacuated from their homes earlier today after a suspected ammonia gas leak at their residential area. 

Shah Alam district police chief Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim said police received a complaint at about 9.30pm yesterday regarding an odour pollution at Jalan Sungai Rasau 32/24, Section 32. 

He said, one of the residents detected a strong stench coming from the drain and immediately contacted police to lodge a report.

“Investigations at the scene found that the smell was suspected to be ammonia pollution coming from a drain near a warehouse where frozen food is stored. The Selangor Hazmat team was dispatched to the scene.” 

“Further investigation by the Fire and Rescue Department found that the warehouse management said they were carrying out regular maintenance work as scheduled,” he said. 

However, he added that the management did not realise there was a blockage to the drainage system, resulting in the odour pollution.

“The department used a fire hydrant at the warehouse to flush the drainage system to reduce the odour to a safe level,” said the police chief. 

Meanwhile, an affected resident in Berjaya Park said authorities ordered residents in 40 to 50 houses in the area to move. 

“We were instructed to leave our homes at around 10pm and only return when things were back to normal, two hours later,” he said. – May 22, 2023.