KUCHING: Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian has demanded the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSPG) to be closed permanently following the deadly explosion that occurred at a section in Lawas this afternoon that killed a man and injured another two individuals.
He also urged Petronas to bring in international and independent qualified experts to make a thorough inspection of the whole stretch of pipeline while the report must be made public.
The deadly explosion occurred at Long Ugui at 2.50pm, Baru said, could be due to gas leakage caused by soil movement.
“I understand from my sources that the leak which led to the explosion may have been caused by soil movement. That has been the most common reason given by Petronas for the past incidents,” he said in a statement today.
Since 2014, Baru said, he has been pressing Petronas to improve on the safety aspects of the pipeline, as there have been at least five incidents of leakages and explosions.
“When I was Minister of Works, a team of officers from Petronas briefed me on their safety protocols and assured me that they would be monitoring and maintaining the pipeline to prevent more incidents.
“But, oil movement is not preventable in our equatorial climate of hot, dry, and then wet seasons. We cannot allow our people to continue to be at risk of death and injury from explosions whenever there is soil movement. So, the question is what can Petronas do to prevent more incidents like this?”
Baru said he has also raised the issue that the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline should not be located close to any village – after the gas leakage happened near Kampung Pa’Berunut two months ago.
He said he had lost confidence in Petronas as the deadly explosion still happened even after all reassurances by the company as he felt the gas pipeline “is not safe at all”.
“It is a hazard to the lives and safety of the people of Lawas who live and work in the vicinity,” he said.
