Devastation: A resident walking past wrecked vehicles and buildings in Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru, Subang Jaya. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
KLANG: The first thought that crossed Selangor Sports Council executive director Mohamad Nizam Marjugi’s mind, when he went to help Putra Heights gas pipeline fire victims, was how they were ever going to rebuild their lives.
“I felt very sorry for those at Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru as they were mostly B40 and the lower end of M40 as well as senior citizens,” said Mohamad Nizam, who had led the Selangor Volunteer (SERVE) team, which comes under the auspices of the council, to help clean-up the site last weekend.
He said the 785 volunteers who participated on Saturday and the 936 that came last Sunday were shocked at the sight that greeted them.
“It was like a war zone. It was a shocking experience for those who had only heard or read about the devastation prior to seeing it for themselves.
“Besides from SERVE, other volunteers that came to help under our umbrella were from Team Selangor, Mercy Malaysia, various non-governmental organisations, and institutions of higher learning,” said Mohamad Nizam when contacted.
Universiti Teknologi Mara student volunteer, Raja Khairul Danial Raja Kamarul Zaman, 23, said he will never forget what he saw at the site.
“It will leave a lasting impression on me as I have never witnessed such big losses and suffering in my entire life,” he said.
Universiti Kuala Lumpur student Nur Ain Awalluddin, 23, said the scenario was far worse than she had imagined.
“It was sad to know that all the victims will have to restart their lives after spending years building it,” she added.
Mohamad Nizam said the affected areas at Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru and Taman Putra Harmoni were divided into 12 zones, with volunteers despatched to each zone.
Besides cleaning up about 30 houses inside out, volunteers also cleared the entire vicinity, including surrounding areas, as well as the compounds of houses they did not have access to, or were prohibited from entering.
“We only went into houses where the owners had given us the green light to enter, while some houses were too dangerous to go in due to extensive structural damage,” said Mohamad Nizam, adding that the 30 houses they cleaned sustained only about 20% damage.
Mohamad Nizam said owners had not moved in yet as even the minimally damaged houses needed a lot of repair work done, especially with electrical wiring, which may have melted.
“We heard that contractors were already engaged and were starting to do work on the damaged houses this week,” he added.
The local council was also busy clearing up dead trees and damaged vehicles.
“After they have cleared up the bulk, we helped by clearing the smaller debris,” he said.
He urged all Malaysians to come in solidarity with the victims who suffered immense losses and added that a former school headmaster he knew was also one of the victims.
“He narrated to me how all his children had returned home to Taman Putra Harmoni to celebrate Hari Raya and ended up losing their vehicles and valuables in the mishap,” said Mohamad Nizam.
The headmaster also told him that his mother-in-law, who had rushed out of the house after the explosion, suffered third-degree burns.
“His mother-in-law had worn polyester clothing, which just melted on her body due to the intense heat,” he added.
