KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor police have identified a suspect believed to be responsible for circulating false information claiming that a death had occurred due to the April 1 Putra Heights gas fire.
Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan (pic) said the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters received a report from the district health office regarding the allegation.
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Subsequently, two investigation papers were initiated.
"The investigations are being conducted under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for using a network facility to send false comments, requests, suggestions or communications," he said in a press conference at the incident control post in Subang Jaya on Thursday (April 10).
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Earlier, the Health Ministry lodged a police report concerning social media comments that falsely claimed a death had occurred in the blaze.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had also been informed of the matter and emphasised that no reports of any death related to the incident had been received from any public or private healthcare facility.
Meanwhile, Hussein disclosed that the police have received 755 reports from victims as of Thursday, primarily concerning damage to houses, vehicles and injuries sustained as a result of the fire.
"We have also recorded 172 statements from various witnesses and parties involved," he added.
The gas pipeline explosion and blaze, which occurred at 8.10am on April 1, caused flames to soar more than 30m, with temperatures reaching up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. It took nearly eight hours to be fully extinguished. - Bernama
