ABOUT 50 mourners attended the private funeral procession of Soo Yu Jian, a Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman industrial trainee who tragically lost his life in an explosion at HELP University on Monday. The press was barred from the wake, which took place late Thursday evening.
The hearse carrying Soo’s body departed the funeral parlour at 11.30pm, accompanied by hymns, before he was taken to the Nirvana Crematorium in Shah Alam.
The 24-year-old mechanical engineering student had been working on an air-conditioning compressor with two colleagues when the device unexpectedly detonated.
The explosion claimed his life, left nine others injured—including four students and one university staff member—and sent shockwaves through the campus.
Two of the injured remain hospitalised, including 19-year-old Reeya Kaur Thandal, who is reported to be in stable condition.
Others affected have been discharged, with six victims treated and released immediately following the blast.
One survivor of the incident, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the harrowing moment to the New Straits Times, describing how the blast threw him to the ground with multiple injuries.
“The impact from the blast was so strong that it went through a concrete wall and threw me to the ground,” he said.
“Everything happened in the blink of an eye. There was no time to react. If not for some items behind me that shielded me from the blast, I would have been in a more critical situation.”
The survivor, who had just finished eating in the university cafeteria when the explosion occurred, described the deafening noise, chaos, and destruction that followed.
“When I got up and ran away from the affected area, I turned back and saw everything destroyed, except for the tables, which were made from steel and solid wood.
“The place looked like it had been bombed,” he said.
He added that the cafeteria patrons were unaware of the adjacent air-conditioning compressor room, which was normally accessible only to maintenance personnel, and had no knowledge of routine maintenance being carried out at the time.
Panic ensued as smoke filled the area and the electricity was cut, forcing him to navigate the scene relying solely on his senses.
The Fire and Rescue Department confirmed that investigators are examining the possibility that the explosion resulted from a malfunction in the air-conditioning control system.
Its director-general, Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad, stated: “The source of the explosion is believed to be due to increased gas pressure (R22) in the air-conditioning system and a malfunction in the control system. The investigation is at the stage of verifying this.”
The tragedy has left the campus and wider community in shock, raising questions about safety protocols in university maintenance operations. - January 16, 2026
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