No criminal, terrorism link in blast
Police rule out foul play in CityONE Megamall explosion, classify fatalities as sudden deaths
KUCHING: The police have ruled out any criminal or militant elements in Tuesday’s explosion at CityONE Megamall here.
Sa r awak Deputy Pol ic e Commissioner Datuk Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim said an investigation carried out found no links to terrorism or crime, and that the case has been classified as sudden death.
“We have carried out our investigation and there are no criminal elements or elements of terrorism related to the incident,” he said when visiting the scene of the blast yesterday.
He added al l three bodies have undergone post-mortem to ascertain the cause of death, but did not reveal the findings.
Separately, Mohd Dzuraidi also refuted claims on social media that one of the three men who died in the blast was the owner of the affected food outlet.
“It is not true. He is not the owner but a worker of the outlet. The other two deceased were contractors involved in renovation works at the outlet,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department ( Bomba) Sarawak director Khirudin Drahman said preliminary findings by the department’s forensics unit strongly pointed to a gas leak being behind the explosion.
“We have taken samples of the gas from the gas tank at the scene, to be sent for analysis at our lab for further confi rmation.
“Based on the explosion pattern, CCTV footage and injuries suffered by the victims, we found similarity with our initial hypothesis which is gas leakage.”
Khirudin also said a sweep of the blast site by Bomba’s canine unit found no other victims trapped in the rubble.
Based on the explosion pattern, CCTV footage and injuries suffered by the victims, we found similarity with our initial hypothesis which is gas leakage. Khirudin Drahman, Fire and Rescue Department Sarawak director
KUCHING: Tchee Foh Hin, whose son Kiam Jong was one of the three persons killed in Tuesday’s explosion at CityONE Megamall, says he must remain strong for the sake of his late son despite being ‘devastated inside’.
The 66-year- old told The Borneo Post when met at his home in Stampin Baru yesterday that he had not slept or bathed since being informed of Kiam Jong’s demise.
“As a father, I need to remain strong. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sad or devastated by his death, but I must be strong for the funeral and also to meet visitors who come to pay their last respects,” said Foh Hin, who faces difficulty walking due to swelling in his left leg.
Struggling to control his emotions, the former odd-job worker said Kiam Jong, 24, was carrying out the final phase of installing water pipes at the food outlet when the blast occurred.
“I was told by doctors that he suffered multiple fractures to his ribs caused by a hard object landing on him. They said he died instantly.
“I guess it is fortunate that my son’s face, arms and legs are intact.”
The elder Tchee revealed that Kiam Jong – the youngest of three boys – was the one closest to him, especially after his (Foh Hin) wife passed away four years ago.
“Every morning, he would make coffee and serve one to me. He would also buy ‘kuih’ for us to eat breakfast. You tell me whose son still does that?” he said while fighting back tears.
Foh Hin said before his son left for work that fateful morning, Kiam Jong was his normal self and, as usual, poured their coffee and had breakfast together.
“Never could I imagine that that was our last time we share coffee and breakfast,” he said, adding his son had always been the stay- athome type who neither drank nor gambled.
He revealed that the family moved to their current home in Stampin Baru from Tapah in 1994 – the year Kiam Jong was born.
Kiam Jong’s body is currently at a crematorium in Kota Sentosa for the wake.
As a father, I need to remain strong. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t sad or devastated by his death, but I must be strong for the funeral and also to meet visitors who come to pay their last respects.
Tchee Foh Hin