Rental aid for Putra Heights gas explosion victims extended to next April
SHAH ALAM : The Selangor government will continue providing rental assistance to victims of the gas pipeline explosion at Putra Heights in Subang Jaya at least until April next year.
State housing and culture committee chairman Borhan Aman Shah said the RM2,000 monthly rental assistance will ensure victims have appropriate shelter until their homes are repaired.
'Initially, the state government agreed to provide rental support for six months, but we have decided to extend it for up to a year or more, especially for homes that were completely destroyed, as rebuilding will take time,' he said in a statement today.
'For houses that were partially damaged, assistance will also continue until repairs are fully completed.
'The aid will only be discontinued once the occupants are able to return to their homes.'
Borhan said the state government will monitor the progress of the repair to ensure efficient use of funds allocated for the assistance.
On April 30, menteri besar Amirudin Shari announced that the Selangor government had allocated RM2.73 million in rental assistance to 455 families affected by the incident, covering six months from April.
The Petronas gas pipeline fire on April 1 sent flames more than 30m high, with temperatures reaching 1,000°C. The blaze took nearly eight hours to extinguish and left a 9.8m-deep crater at the site.
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