Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email 7o SJKT Ladang Emerald students and 3 teachers were sent to hospital yesterday. Some of them fainted. Why? It was suspected gas leak at nearby Gas Malaysia station that regulated and transferred gas flow to industrial and residential areas in the Klang Valley.
During the noon incident yesterday, strong winds carried the fumes to the school, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Soiman Jahid said.
He said the department team took fifteen minutes to shut off the pipelines.
A parent, R. Raja, said he received a call from a teacher around noon informing him of the mishap.
“I rushed to the school, and saw parents and teachers rushing several students who had collapsed to hospital,” said Raja, whose son Darshan was among the 15 students rushed to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital.
The others were sent to several government clinics in Shah Alam.
NST reported that the victims were 31 students. And it also reported that Petronas Gas Malaysia saying that there was NO leak and that it was a routine service check which saw the release of the chemical.
The Petronas station, located about 300m from the school, was undergoing maintenance.
Teachers said they felt something was not right after they smelled something pungent in the air.
Pupils began complaining of dizziness and some fainted, which led them to be evacuated to the canteen.
Parents were informed and pupils who were not affected were allowed to go home while those feeling unwell were taken to the hospital.
Petronas Gas Shah Alam area manager Mohd Isa Adam denied there was a gas leak.
He said a chemical — ethyl mercaptan — a colourless chemical to odorise natural gas, was released during a routine service check at the station.
Petronas Gas Bhd, in a statement released later, also said there was no gas leak at the site.
It said “a small quantity of ethyl mercaptan had escaped into the air at 11.30am during maintenance work at its facility in Shah Alam City Gate”.
“The chemical is used to detect any leakage of gas. The smell had drifted towards the school.
“Petronas Gas has taken immediate measures to neutralise the smell of the chemical.”
Police and the Fire and Rescue Department cordoned off the road leading to the station during the cleaning-up operations as workers from Kualiti Alam sealed several drums believed to contain the chemical.
The issue of safety comes to mind immediately. We now see schools located in the vicinity of cemetery, sewerage pools, oxidation pool, water reservoirs, gas stations, hypermarkets, and God knows what else. Who regulates all this approval of locations?
SJKT Ladang Emerald is a newly built school replacing the old one, built by the developer who took over the development of the land in Kota Kemuning. Unfortunately, there’s a hazardous site nearby it. Is the gas station located within the permissible distance from other areas?
Don’t let accidents happen, then only want to run around like headless chickens.
If the school is situate near a severage and this happens then the co called officer will also say that this is a routine check . It is normal for a little shit to leak nothing to worry. In Malaysia if it the live of other race then it is of little concern (especially of the indians) for anybody.
I wonder what our so called champions of the race have to say. 300 metres from the school is rather a scary location to be studying. Don’t you think so?
i agree with you. we now have to determine which came later – school or station – and who gave permissions, and whether the distance is the accepted norm.