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KUALA LUMPUR – Friction and heat build-up under the scorching sun during the cleaning up process of disposed contraband firecrackers could be the likely cause of a fire and subsequent explosions at the Sentul district police evidence warehouse yesterday evening.
Sentul police chief Beh Eng Lai revealed that initial investigations point towards the possibility of disposed firecrackers igniting while they were being shovelled into large garbage bins.
“We believe there could have been friction and heat produced as a result of the firecrackers being bulldozed which included a mixture of soil and sand.
“So, when the bulldozed firecrackers were being filled into the large bins, the heat from before could have gotten more intense (and possibly ignited),” he told a press conference at the Sentul police district headquarters this morning.
Beh ruled out elements of possible sabotage, saying initial investigations did not point towards any accelerant or ember ignited by a lit cigarette butt as the source of the fire and explosions.
“At this point, we have not found any evidence or source of the fire that suggests such possibilities,” he said when asked if a cigarette butt could have started the fire.
“So, no, the element of sabotage is unlikely,” he said, adding that a detailed investigation into the source of the fire is currently being conducted by the Fire and Rescue Department’s forensic investigators.
Beh said police have received seven reports from residents in the vicinity of the warehouse who experienced broken window panes, glass panels, and rooftops, believed to be caused by shockwaves and debris, without any human casualties reported.
He said three general workers who were cleaning up the disposal site along Jalan Sentul experienced light injuries as a result of the explosions, suffering cuts and bruises on their backs, hands, and shoulders.
The total value of losses from the incident, which included 18 seized cars and two lorries, has yet to be calculated but police confirmed that the entire cache of disposed firecrackers in more than 1,000 boxes worth RM4.1 million had ignited.
Beh added that his office would be in contact with the courts to develop safer disposal methods especially when involving ignitable evidence.
The 6.24pm incident yesterday caught nearby residents and tenants off guard when several explosions shook high-rise buildings in the area, shattering the windows and ceilings of houses in the vicinity.
The fire department said they arrived at a scene where over 30% of the building and 80% of the open area was ablaze, and they took almost an hour to put out the fire. – The Vibes, April 27, 2022
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