A fire caused by a burst gas pipe engulfed several homes and took to the skies over Malaysia's largest city on Tuesday, injuring more than 100 people.
The blaze, which raged near a petrol station in the Putra Heights area near Kuala Lumpur, was visible for miles and lasted for several hours.
It came during a public holiday when Muslims, who make up the majority in Malaysia, mark the second day of Eid al-Adha.
National oil company Petronas said the fire started on one of its gas pipelines at 8:10 a.m. and that the damaged line had been isolated. Disaster management officials said closing the valves would eventually help put out the fire.
The blaze, which at one point reached 20 storeys high, was weak enough for firefighters to reach it at around 2.45pm, the Selangor state fire department told the Star.
Selangor deputy police chief Mohamad Zaini Abu Hassan said at least 49 houses were damaged and 112 people were injured, of whom 63 were hospitalised with burns, breathing difficulties and other injuries, according to national news agency Bernama.
Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said the fire department had evacuated nearby houses for safety reasons and residents would be accommodated in nearby mosques until the situation was under control.
Photos and videos of the fireball went viral on social media, with some residents reporting feeling strong tremors that shook the doors and windows of their homes.
Li Wen Ken, who suffered burns on his left leg, said he was in shock when the ceiling of his home collapsed and crushed his car parked on the property.
“I ran out of the house but fell and got burns from the heat coming from the flames next to my house,” he told Bernama.
Another victim, who wished to remain anonymous and be identified only as Andy, said he ran out of the house with his children when they felt the tremors and saw the raging fire about 100 metres away.
“I was only able to leave by car. My 18-year-old daughter injured her leg when she fell while climbing over a fence because of the heat,” he said.
Petronas said three petrol stations had been closed as a precaution, although they were not damaged and investigations were ongoing.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
