KUALA LUMPUR: There have been six recorded accidents involving natural gas for vehicles (NGV), Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
Loke said the most recent incident occurred in Bangkok on Oct 1, where a school bus caught fire, claiming the lives of 23 students and teachers.
He said the explosion was believed to have been caused by friction that ignited an illegally installed NGV cylinder.
Loke said there was a fatal incident at an NGV station in Batu Berendam, Melaka, in 2008, where a cylinder exploded.
He said the vehicle owner had modified the vehicle to use cooking gas cylinders (LPG) for NGV refuelling.
"In the same year, an explosion occurred due to an LPG stored in the boot of a vehicle filling up with NGV at the NGV station in Batu 5, Jin Cheras. It was believed that the owner was using an LPG cylinder for NGV refuelling.
"The third case is in 2016. An NGV explosion occurred on Bukit Ceylon, involving a taxi, which likely suffered a leak in the tank. The taxi driver was injured, but no passengers were on board," he said at a press conference on the direction of NGV vehicles here today.
In 2019, Loke said, an incident at the NGV station in Sungai Petai involved a Naza Ria.
He said the explosion caused damage to a motorcycle and the station itself.
The multi-purpose vehicle had two cylinders installed and was suspected of using LPG cylinders.
"In 2022, an explosion was also reported at the NGV station in Langkasuka when one of the additional NGV cylinders installed on a commercial truck exploded.
"This has resulted in severe injuries to a petrol station worker's leg and minor injuries to a member of the public," he said.