Dozens of firefighters are tackling the blaze in Putra Heights, central Selangor, which is a suburb near Kuala Lumpur – and residents have been evacuated from their properties
Shocking photographs capture a fireball erupt near a petrol station today.
Families have been evacuated in Putra Heights, near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, after the fire broke out at around 11am local time (4am in UK). Residents said they felt the doors and windows of their homes shake due to the force of the fire.
A gas pipe burst and caused the fire, national oil company Petronas said in a statement. Dozens of firefighters are at the scene, near a petrol station, which is closed for the safety of employees and nearby residents of homes. Two other petrol stations in the suburb have been closed, again as precautionary measures.
Several people have been taken to hospital with severe burns, and it is feared other residents are trapped in rubble. Among the most serious injured are two pensioners, reports local media. The towering inferno can be seen for miles across Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, which is home to more than two million people. Like most of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is popular with young professional Brits, who move there for a change of lifestyle.
People have expressed their shock and concern on social media. One motorist, driving on a main road adjacent to the scene, posted: “Wow, I was passing by when it actually exploded – the heat was all the way into the car.” Others on Twitter compared scenes to a “nuclear attack,” but there is no suggestion this has occurred in Putra Heights.
Another post on X reads: “Hope there are no casualties.” One local responded: “Multiple homes destroyed, injuries reported. Major fire and emergency response ongoing.”
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It comes a day after residents across Blackburn in the UK were warned to keep windows and doors shut – as a fire raged through an industrial estate. Multiple explosions were heard shortly after the blaze started, reportedly at a factory, on Sett End Road West, which is in the southeast of the Lancashire town. Crews in ten fire engines tackled the blaze, which led to several road closures.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service had said on Monday: “We have 10 fire engines, two aerial ladder platforms and a firefighting robot at a commercial building fire on Sett End Road West, Blackburn.
“Firefighters were called at 00:45 and a number of roads are closed in the local area. There is also a large smoke plume and anyone who can see or smell smoke is strongly advised to close windows and doors. No injuries have been reported.”
Royal Blackburn Hospital is near the industrial estate but it, police stress, remained open. Lancashire Constabulary added streets, including Haslingden Road, were closed or partially closed as firefighters tackled the blaze.