Engineering intern dies in air-con explosion at university in Selangor, 9 others injured

KUALA LUMPUR: A man who died after an explosion involving an air-conditioning compressor unit at a private university in Selangor on Monday (Jan 12) was an intern undergoing industrial training that was due to conclude later this week. 

Soo Yu Juan, 24, was the sole fatality in a blast at HELP University in Bukit Damansara on Monday morning. He was working on an air-conditioning unit when the incident happened, said Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus. The victim was initially identified by the authorities as a contractor. 

Nine others were injured - including four students and two foreign cafeteria workers who suffered minor injuries - the police chief added. 

The authorities received a call about the incident at about 11.40am, Fadil told reporters. 

The explosion, involving an air-conditioning compressor, happened in a maintenance area next to the cafeteria on the fourth floor of the university building. 

Soo was a third-year mechanical engineering student from Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), said Chang Yoong Choon, the dean of UTAR’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. 

Soo was confirmed dead while receiving treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. 

“This incident is deeply shocking and unexpected for the university. The student went to the location as part of a routine assignment related to air-conditioning maintenance work,” Chang said when met at the hospital’s Forensic Department, as reported by state news agency Bernama.

Soo was undergoing a three-month industrial training with an air-conditioning maintenance company at HELP University when the incident happened. He was due to complete the internship on Thursday. 

The industrial training was part of the routine academic requirements for engineering students at UTAR to provide exposure to real-world working environments, said Chang.

He added that UTAR provides insurance coverage for all students, including for accidents that happened during industrial training. 

“Once all relevant documents are obtained, the university will submit the insurance claim. I am personally representing the university to manage the case until its resolution as part of UTAR’s commitment to the student and the victim’s family,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama. 

The company where the victim was interning had also expressed its commitment to provide support and assistance, including funeral arrangements, Chang said.

He added that the exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Higher Education Ministry has instructed HELP University to immediately conduct comprehensive safety inspections across its campus. 

The inspections should encompass all campus facilities and the university must ensure the affected areas are verified safe by the authorities before being used, the ministry said in a statement reported by Bernama. 

“The ministry stresses its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of students and staff at all institutions of higher learning through compliance of safety standards, periodic maintenance and cooperation with related agencies,” the statement read. 

The Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department on Monday said that the explosion damaged nearly one-third of the fourth floor of the building but did not involve any fire, Malay Mail reported. 

The Hazardous Material Unit was also sent to the scene to identify possible gas leaks but later found the area to be safe from hazardous gases, according to the fire and rescue department.