The gas explosion which ripped through the Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya on Wednesday morning, Sept 28, 2011 is suspected to be linked to a gas leak from a lower ground floor unit in the mall.
A statement issued by Empire Shopping Gallery Sdn Bhd on Friday, Sept 30 said the actual cause of the explosion was still under investigation. It added an official result was expected in the near future.
The statement quoting an Energy Commission spokesperson as saying that from its investigation, the central gas piping system in the mall was still in “good condition” while the last inspection by the commission was only conducted in July this year.
Empire Shopping Gallery executive director Datuk Danny Cheah said: “Our gas piping system is designed and installed by BHP, a registered and certified contractor of the Energy Commission. We have been assured that it meets the high industry standards.”
Cheah added since the mall start operations more than a year ago, the management was “singularly focused” on internal best practices in all areas of operations.
To recap, the explosion at the mall was at about 3.45am on Sept 28 which damaged the lower ground and ground floors of the Mall, affecting an estimated 30 units. Four people were injured while more than 300 were rescued and evacuated, news reports said.
The entire complex that includes the 198-room Empire Hotel, Empire Soho and Empire Tower was closed for an inspection by the authorities to ensure the structures were declared safe.
