Putra Heights: Several victims of the gas pipeline explosion and fire incident in Putra Heights are now in the final phase of preparations to move out of the Putra Heights Mosque Temporary Evacuation Centre (PPS) to other settlements. The PPS, which is expected to close this Sunday, has seen residents begin preparing to move to temporary settlements, including rental houses and Airbnb units with government assistance.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, one of the victims, Fazreen Azizan, 34, has registered for a month’s accommodation assistance through Airbnb, which opened a special counter at the PPS since yesterday. “We were given the flexibility to choose the Airbnb accommodation we want to stay in at a cost of RM7,100 per month or RM230 per night. So when the PPS closes this Sunday, my husband and I as well as our five children will continue to move to a house around Subang,” she said when met at the Putra Heights Mosque Hall PPS.
Fazreen mentioned that after the one-month period is over, they will have to find another rental house since their original rental house in Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru was completely destroyed in the fire. She added that even if the house is repaired, it will take more than six months. Fazreen also noted that her family decided against moving to the Seri Suria Apartment, Kota Warisan, Sepang offered by the state government due to its distance from her children’s school.
Roseniza Bidin, 56, another victim and self-employed individual, has started looking for a rental house in Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru in preparation to move out of the PPS. She explained her family’s preference for securing a rental house early to avoid multiple relocations since the Airbnb accommodation assistance is only available for a month. The decision was also influenced by the need to care for their eight pet cats.
Meanwhile, Mohd Fazly Nordin, 40, expressed his reluctance to move as his house, which was 60 percent damaged, would take two to three months to repair. He has not registered for Airbnb accommodation yet but intends to find a house nearby to keep his children in their current school. Mohd Fazly expressed gratitude for the fire brigade’s quick response, which prevented his house from being completely destroyed, and noted that only the roof collapsed while the main structure remained intact.
The gas pipeline fire that occurred at 8.10 am on April 1 resulted in a fire that burned more than 30 metres high with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius before it was completely extinguished almost eight hours later.