Kaul Festival in Mukah to Proceed Amid Methane Gas Discovery in Oya, Assures Minister Fatimah
The Kaul Festival in Mukah will continue as scheduled despite the discovery of methane gas at the Oya festival site, located 22 kilometers away. Sarawak Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah stated that the Mukah site remains unaffected.
Soil investigations at the Oya site revealed gas at one of three tested locations, leading to a temporary halt in development works and a police cordon for safety. Similar gas-related incidents have occurred in Simunjan, where methane from decomposing materials caused small fires, which were extinguished by late December 2023. The Oya site is under monitoring by the Hazmat Team from Bintulu and the Mukah Fire and Rescue Station, with gas readings consistently showing LEL levels at 90-100 percent and fluctuating oxygen levels, alongside trace hydrogen sulphide detected.
