PUTRA HEIGHTS – It will take a few more hours before the fire in Putra Heights is extinguished as authorities need to allow for the gas between the two closed valve stations to run out.
So far, no casualties have been reported, but dozens of residents are suffering from burns and other injuries while some are being treated at Serdang, Cyberjaya and Putrajaya hospitals.
Former Petronas vice-president Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, who was interviewed at the scene, said the fire would take several hours to extinguish.
“Petronas has closed two valve stations, one upstream and one downstream, which are about 30 to 40 kilometers apart. The gas will need to run out before the situation can be fully assessed,” he told Scoop.
He added that the affected pipeline, laid in the 1990s, is about two meters underground. Due to the extent of the blaze, authorities and emergency responders are waiting for the remaining gas to dissipate before determining the extent of the damage.
A powerful explosion followed by a massive inferno rocked residents of Putra Heights at about 8.10 am today, with authorities linking it to a leak in a Petronas gas pipeline.
Residents were evacuated to a nearby mosque and Hindu temple as the heat from the blaze became unbearable and dangerous. Petronas has also provided basic necessities including bottled water to those affected.
Efforts to contain the fire are ongoing. Authorities have yet to determine how long it will take before the area is deemed safe for residents to return. – April 1, 2025