IPOH: While a natural explanation is likely, the cause of the loud boom and brief tremor that shook several parts of Ipoh is still being investigated, says the Perak police chief.
Datuk Noor Hisam Noordin said the incident, which occurred at around 10.30am on June 18, sparked concern among residents in Chemor, Chepor and Tanah Hitam.
“Initial investigations have not found any evidence of misconduct or unscheduled demolition activity at quarries.
“We have interviewed residents from the affected areas and referred the matter to geologists and the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia (JMG),” he told reporters during a handover ceremony at the Senior Police Officers’ Mess yesterday.
“There is no indication of any misconduct or unscheduled blasting activity.
“It’s all natural causes but we are still conducting a thorough investigation,” he said, adding that a similar incident occurred on June 6 last year.
“Such events might happen only once every 10 years. But now we’ve seen two consecutive cases in June.
“We are studying this phenomenon more closely.”
He added that authorities will be calling for a multi-agency meeting involving JMG, quarry operators, the armed forces and other related bodies to discuss the issue in greater depth.
“The public is advised to remain calm and not to speculate. There is no cause for alarm. People can continue with their daily routines as usual,” he said.
On a separate matter, Noor Hisam said the police have recorded a statement from a teacher accused of posting offensive remarks about the tragic accident that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students on the East-West Highway in Gerik.
“We have already recorded the statement and seized his mobile phone to assist in the investigation.
“The investigation paper is almost complete, pending the medical report from the hospital.
“Once received, we will submit the case to the deputy public prosecutor for further action,” he said.
Earlier, a Facebook account bearing the name “Khalid Yunus” had sparked public outrage after it wrote that the 15 students had “died in disgrace”.
The post has since been deleted and the account holder has posted a public apology, claiming he suffered from schizophrenia.
State education, higher education, youth and sports committee chairman Khairudin Abu Hanipah later confirmed that the account belonged to a secondary school teacher.
The Perak Education Department is also preparing a full report on the matter.
