MIRI, Aug 1: The police has yet to confirm the origin of an unknown metal shard, suspected to be the debris from the Chinese Long March 5B rocket, discovered at Pekan Sepupok Lama near Batu Niah here yesterday.
Miri police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said a local resident in the area had lodged a police report on the discovery at 5.30pm yesterday (July 31) which prompted the police to visit and investigate the validity of the report.
“Initial investigation by the police found a metal shard buried in the ground at a depth of approximately one metre near the resident’s house.
“However, the police could not confirm the origin of the metal object and has requested assistance from the Hazardous Material Unit Team (HAZMAT) of the Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) as well as Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) to analyse the scene,” he said in a statement today.
Alexson further advised members of the public to stay clear of the area near the scene due to fear that the metal may contain radioactive substances which could be detrimental to health.
“The police are monitoring the area to ensure no untoward incident occurred,” he added.
The public is also advised not to make any speculation or spread fake news, and contact the nearest police station to channel or obtain information on the incident.
In the wee hours of July 31, netizens had managed to capture a video of the debris from China’s Long March 5B passing over the sky above the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN Sarawak) as it re-entered into the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Malaysian Space Agency (Mysa), through continuous monitoring by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and a statement from the China Space Agency, informed that the rocket debri had caught fire while entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
The debris was believed to have fallen around the Sulu Sea, in the area between latitude 9.1 degrees North and longitude 119.0 degrees East. – DayakDaily
