KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 — The sole fatality in the explosion incident at a private university today was an intern from another private university who was undergoing industrial training with an air conditioning maintenance company.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman's (UTAR) Electrical and Electronic Engineering Faculty dean Prof Chang Yoong Choon said the victim, Soo Yu Juan, 24, was a third-year Mechanical Engineering student scheduled to complete his industrial training this Thursday (January 15).
The industrial training was part of the routine academic requirements for engineering students, providing exposure to real-world work environments.
“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,” he told the media at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) Forensic Department today.
Chang added that UTAR provides insurance coverage for all students, including for accidents occurring during industrial training.
“Once all relevant documents are obtained, the university will submit the insurance claim. I am personally representing the university to manage this case until its resolution as part of UTAR’s commitment to the student and the victim's family,” he said.
Chang noted that the company where the victim was interning had expressed its commitment to provide support and assistance, including funeral arrangements.
He said the exact cause of the incident has yet to be determined, and they are awaiting the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) investigation results.
A Bernama observation found that the victim's mother and older brother arrived at the HKL Forensic Department at 6pm for the identification process.
Earlier, the media reported that one person was confirmed dead while receiving treatment at HKL, while nine others were injured in an air conditioning gas explosion at a private university at 11.40am.
