A colossal fire has erupted in a Malaysian suburb outside Kuala Lumpur due to a burst gas pipeline, prompting evacuations of nearby homes.
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.
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 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 Star English newspaper said fire and rescue teams had rescued seven people.
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.
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.
