One dead, two hurt in explosion at gas pipeline near Lawas

KUCHING: One person has been killed and two others injured in a fire after an explosion occurred at a section of the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline (SSGP) near Lawas, in northern Sarawak, on Wednesday (Nov 16).

Lawas OCPD Deputy Supt Sila Kadong said the victims were construction workers on the Sabah-Sarawak Link Road project.

"They were excavating the ground about 20m from the pipeline when it suddenly exploded.

"The workers did not dig into the pipeline. Maybe there was soil movement, (but) we don't know the cause of the explosion," he said.

The Fire and Rescue Department said the explosion caused a fire which spread to a radius of 400m.

It said an excavator was completely burnt and other machinery, including a bulldozer and lorry, were partially burnt in the incident.

"One victim who was in the excavator was confirmed to have died. Two other victims sustained burns," the department said in a statement, adding that the cause of the fire was still being investigated.

Firemen were dispatched to the location after receiving a report at 2.49pm.

The team had to transport their equipment in a Nissan Navara vehicle as the fire engine could not access the road to the location.

"Fire extinguishers were used to put out the fire as there was no open water source at the location," Bomba said.

In a statement, PETRONAS said the incident was believed to have involved a third-party contractor performing work unrelated to SSGP operations near the pipeline's right of way.

"A police report has been lodged with regard to this incident. To this end, an investigation will commence in earnest," it said.

PETRONAS also said it had mobilised its emergency response team to the area and would work closely with the relevant authorities to contain the situation and protect the safety of the surrounding community and environment.