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Malaysia fire: huge blaze erupts near Kuala Lumpur as gas pipeline explodes Malaysia fire: huge blaze erupts near Kuala Lumpur as gas pipeline explodes
(about 8 hours later)
Inferno spread to nearby homes, trapping residents, while full extent of damage still being assessedInferno spread to nearby homes, trapping residents, while full extent of damage still being assessed
A colossal fire has erupted in a Malaysian suburb outside Kuala Lumpur due to a burst gas pipeline, prompting evacuations of nearby homes. A fireball erupted from a burst gas pipeline outside Malaysia’s largest city, injuring 145 people as it burned for several hours before being extinguished.
The inferno near a gas station in Putra Heights in central Selangor state on Tuesday was visible for kilometres. National oil company Petronas said the fire broke out at one of its gas pipeline at 8.10am. The national oil company Petronas said the blaze started at one of its gas pipelines outside Kuala Lumpur. The inferno sent flames 20 storeys high and left a huge crater near a residential neighbourhood.
It said in a brief statement that the affected pipeline had been isolated. Three gas stations near the fire site were not affected but had been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, Petronas said, adding that investigations were still under way. The health minister, Dzulkefly Ahmad, was quoted by the New Straits Times daily as saying 145 people including three children were injured. He said 67 people were still being treated at public hospitals, mostly for second and third-degree burns, while 37 others had sought treatment from clinics and private hospitals.
The Selangor disaster management unit said in a statement that the blaze had spread to several houses in a nearby village, and efforts were being made to rescue trapped residents. It added that several people had suffered burns and would be taken for treatment, but the extent of the full damage was being assessed. The valve to the pipeline had been shut and that would eventually snuff out the fire, it said. The fire department said the fire damaged 190 houses and 148 vehicles.
The Star English newspaper said fire and rescue teams had rescued seven people. Investigations are under way into the cause of the fire and authorities said homes within 290 metres of the site would remain off limits.
Dozens of Selangor firefighters have been dispatched to the scene. Selangor’s chief minister, Amirudin Shari, said the fire department had quickly evacuated residents from nearby homes as a safety measure. He said they would be temporarily placed in a mosque nearby until the situation was under control. “There is a lot of damage across housing areas,” said the prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, who visited affected residents and announced financial aid for victims. He told them the government and Petronas would be responsible for repairing damaged homes, which could take months.
Pictures and videos of the fireball went viral on social media, with some residents saying they felt the doors and windows of their homes shaking, apparently due to the fire explosion. Some residents said they felt a strong tremor, and homes shook. Lee Weng Ken, whose left leg was burned, said the ceiling of his house collapsed. “I rushed out of my house but fell and suffered burns due to the heat from the blaze,” he told Bernama.
Andy, another victim, also told Bernama he ran out of his home with his children when they felt tremors and saw the fire about 100 metres away. “My 18-year-old daughter injured her foot when she fell while climbing the fence due to the heat,” he said.