KLANG: Volunteers at the Putra Heights gas pipeline blast site were shocked by the devastation.
“It was like a war zone. Seeing it in person was shocking for those who had only heard or read about it,” said Selangor State Sports Council executive director Mohamad Nizam Marjugi.
Mohamad Nizam led the Selangor Volunteer (Serve) team, under the council’s auspices, to clean up the site.
785 volunteers participated last Saturday and another 936 on Sunday to help residents clear and clean their homes.
“Besides Serve, volunteers from Team Selangor, Mercy Malaysia, various NGOs and institutions of higher learning also joined,” said Mohamad Nizam.
The affected areas at Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru and Taman Putra Harmoni were divided into 12 zones, with volunteers sent to each.
Volunteers cleaned about 30 houses inside and outside, clearing the entire vicinity, including inaccessible or prohibited areas.
“We only entered houses where owners allowed us. Some did not grant permission, and some houses were too dangerous due to structural damage,” said Mohamad Nizam.
The 30 houses cleaned had about 20% damage or slightly more.
“All the houses had a lot of soil inside due to the blast, and we helped by removing it and cleaning the surrounding area,” he added.
Mohamad Nizam said owners had not moved back in as even minimally damaged houses needed repairs, especially electrical wiring.
“We heard contractors were engaged and starting work on the damaged houses this week,” he added.
The local council was also clearing dead trees and melted cars in the area.
“After they cleared the bulk, we helped by cleaning and clearing smaller debris like dead trees, plants, household items and vehicles,” Mohamad Nizam added.