30th Sept 2011 INADVERTENT GAS RELEASE FROM LOWER GROUND FLOOR UNIT MOST LIKELY CAUSE OF EXPLOSION AT EMPIRE SHOPPING GALLERY
Initial report from Energy Commission says the mall’s gas pipe system in good condition An
inadvertent gas release from a lower ground floor unit in the Mall was
suspected to be the cause of the explosion at Empire Shopping Gallery
two days ago. However, the actual cause of the explosion is still under
investigation. An official result is expected in the near future.
At a media briefing organized by Empire Shopping Gallery today at the
Empire Hotel, a Energy Commission spokesperson said that from their
investigation, the central gas piping system in the Mall are in good
condition and the last inspection by the Commission was only conducted
in July this year. “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. Since commencing operations
more than one year ago, the management has been singularly focused on
internal best practices in all areas of operations, resulting in Empire
Shopping Gallery becoming the Entertainment, Retail and Lifestyle hub
for Subang Jaya. Our immediate response and action in this incident was
always geared towards to safety and security of our tenants, customers
and the public and we are confident that the situation is now fully
under control,” said Dato’ Danny Cheah, the Executive Director of
Empire Shopping Gallery Sdn. Bhd. The
early morning incident on Wednesday impacted the lower ground and
ground floors of the Mall, affecting an estimated 30 units. Apart from
a few units of the Mall that are severed damaged, the major portion of
the Mall remain unscathed. Rumours of collapsed floors at the lower
ground floor is also unsubstantiated. Following
the incident, the management of Empire Shopping Gallery, in
co-operation with the Fire & Rescue Services Department, took the
decision to halt all operations to ensure investigations to the cause
of the explosion could be completed securely and speedily. A 400-meter
long hoarding was immediately erected around the impacted area for
public safety. In co-operation with the police and local authorities,
the roads leading to the mall was also closed to facilitate recovery
efforts. “We
have set up counters near the Empire Hotel entrance to register and
facilitate tenants from Empire Shopping Gallery, Empire Soho, Empire
Tower and Empire Hotel to retrieve essential belongings in their units
under security escort. All these premises are ready to commence
business soon.” “Safety
of our tenants and customers are our highest priority. We assure the
public that all decisions have been made after carefully considering
all factors and advice from the authorities. Empire Shopping Gallery
has always endeavored to provide the best shoppers the best shopper
experience, and we will do whatever necessary under this circumstance
to facilitate that, moving forward,” said Cheah. The
public can get updates or request for information via the various
channels that have been implemented, namely through the website
(www.esg.com.my), and Twitter (Empire SHGallery.com). Alternatively,
you can call the hotline at 018 701 2880
For media enquiries,
please contact:
Raymond Siva (Edelman KL)
016 223 7226 / Raymond.siva@edelman.com
|
