Malaysia: a gas pipeline explodes. Hundreds injured
At least 49 houses were damaged and more than 112 people were injured , including 63 sent to hospital for burns, breathing difficulties and other injuries, Selangor deputy police chief Mohamad Zaini Abu Hassan said. No deaths were reported.
The state's disaster management unit said efforts to rescue the trapped residents were underway, and several people were treated for burns.
Selangor's chief minister said 82 people have been rescued so far, adding that residents will
Images and videos of the fireball went viral on social media, and some residents said they felt a strong tremor that shook the doors and windows of their homes.
“Suddenly we heard a loud bang and then total chaos,” said a resident who lives 200 meters from the site of the fire, according to the Malaysian newspaper Star. “We immediately left the house and soon saw other residents leaving as well.”
Petronas said in a brief statement that the pipeline had been isolated.
Disaster management officials said closing the valves will eventually put out the fire.
Three petrol stations near the site were not affected but were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, Petronas said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
According to some media reports , the pipeline burst and residents told the state news agency Bernama that they felt tremors around 8am.
According to authorities, the victims suffered burns, breathing difficulties and other injuries, and several houses caught fire following the accident; firefighters worked to rescue trapped residents and provide assistance to victims at a temporary relief center in Masjid Putra Heights.
Residents of the surrounding area were evacuated as a precaution.
Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said the fire was completely extinguished at 3.45pm local time, nearly eight hours after it started.
The Department of Fire and Rescue said in a 3.40pm update that 190 homes and 159 vehicles had been damaged by the fire.
"So far, 190 houses, 148 cars and 11 motorcycles have been identified that have suffered various damages due to fire and heat. Work on overhauling and cooling the burned houses is also underway," said the department's director, Razali Wan Ismail, quoted by the Malay Mail.
Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming said authorities were investigating the cause of the fire.
"We will investigate what really happened. I have given instructions to the fire and rescue department," he said, as reported by Bernama, but it will take time to know the real causes.
The flames reportedly reached 20 stories high and were visible from several kilometers away.
Shortly after the fire broke out, viral videos of the fire circulated on social media, while the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia called on the public not to fly drones in areas affected by the pipeline explosion.
In a separate statement, Petronas said it was "working closely with all stakeholders to ensure the safety of the surrounding community, the environment and the security of gas supply to the nation, which remain our top priority."
Putra Heights is a well-developed residential area and a highly sought-after location for those seeking convenience and access to key areas of the Klang Valley.
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The article Malaysia: a gas pipeline explodes. Hundreds of injured comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/malesia-esplode-un-gasdotto-centinaia-di-feriti/ on Tue, 01 Apr 2025 15:35:05 +0000.