New Straits Times

MB: Balloon ban at official events

- SIM BAK HENG KUALA TERENGGANU news@nst.com.my

PENDING PROBE: Checks on balloons sold by Terengganu traders after 31 hurt in explosion

Terengganu Menteri Besar explosion victim yesterday. Pix by Rozainah Zakaria

USING balloons as decoration or for launching events at official functions is banned, pending investigat­ions into a balloon explosion here that injured 31 people, said Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman.

Razif, who visited several explosion victims at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital here, said he instructed the local authoritie­s to check balloons sold by traders in the state, especially those sold at recreation­al parks.

On Friday, a cluster of balloons burst into flames during a health event at the Batu Burok recreation­al The

Burok recreation park in Kuala Terengganu on Friday. burst into flames.

park here.

Razif said the supplier of the balloons claimed that helium, which is non-flammable, was used to inflate the balloons.

However, Razif said, the explosion showed that the gas was highly flammable.

at the Batu

“We will wait for the police to complete investigat­ions on the gas used in the balloons.

“If necessary, we will ban the use of balloons at official functions in future.

“We want to be sure that only nonflammab­le gas is used in balloons.”

 ??  ?? opening ceremony of the ‘Walk For The Blind’ event
A cluster of balloons
opening ceremony of the ‘Walk For The Blind’ event A cluster of balloons

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