Putra Heights: Heavily pregnant Nur Izzati Misnam is thankful her husband insisted they return to his hometown a day before the gas pipeline explosion and fire incident in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, which damaged nearly 50 per cent of the house they were living in.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Nur Izzati, 30, initially refused to return to her husband Faizul Khairi Mat Sarji’s hometown in Taiping, Perak, as she is nine months pregnant and could go into labour at any time. ‘I’m very grateful that my husband, who is a policeman, persuaded me to go back to visit his parents’ graves. Otherwise, I can’t imagine how I would’ve saved myself or run to safety, being heavily pregnant and with a young child.
Nur Izzati shared that they left on the night of the first day of raya and arrived early on the second day. They were shocked to see news about the incident and wanted to rush back, but her husband advised waiting because they would not be allowed to enter the area. For now, Nur Izzati and her family are staying at a nearby hotel with assistance from a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Initially, they thought only 30 per cent of the house was damaged, but upon further inspection, they found it unlivable. The roof and ceiling were damaged, and muddy water enters the house when it rains. Electrical appliances and other belongings were also destroyed in the incident. They plan to repair the house first using government aid because waiting for assistance from the parties involved may take longer. Nur Izzati hopes the government can expedite the repair work so they can move back soon, especially since she is due to give birth any day now and will begin her confinement period.
She also expressed gratitude for having brought along her delivery essentials, including items for the baby, when they returned to Taiping, thereby sparing them from destruction in the incident. Regarding finding a new rental home, she prefers it to be near Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru so that her two older children can continue cycling to school as before.
Nur Izzati mentioned that her family has received aid from the government and other parties efficiently, with updates provided through WhatsApp and via the village chief. The gas pipeline fire that broke out at 8.10 am on April 1 saw flames soaring over 30 metres high, with temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius, taking nearly eight hours to be fully extinguished.