ELDERLY WOMAN FORCED TO RUN BAREFOOT ON SCORCHING ROAD TO ESCAPE GAS PIPELINE FIRE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (Bernama) – “She wanted to give up already… but the children dragged her out,” said Alex Khoo, recalling how his sister escaped from yesterday’s gas pipeline blaze at her home in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya.

Khoo Poh Lai, 72, who suffered burns on her legs, was reluctant to move due to the severe pain and was running barefoot on the scorching road when her children pulled her to safety. Her house is located just 100 metres from the explosion site.

Alex, 82, described the intensity of the heat from the fire as so extreme that even rubber slippers could melt. 

Poh Lai, who was at home with her husband and children at the time of the incident, is now receiving treatment in a hospital ward, while her husband remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to severe smoke inhalation.

“She’s okay. She’s walking around with bandages on her legs because they were burned from running on the hot road,” Alex told reporters while waiting to meet his sister at the Sultan Idris Shah Hospital, Serdang today.

Alex, who lives in Petaling Jaya said his sister and her family lost everything in the fire, which engulfed their home, cars, and all their belongings before they had a chance to save anything.

So far, he said there is no confirmed date for her discharge, but he anticipates it will not be too long as her injuries are not critical.

He also welcomed the government’s decision to provide immediate financial aid to the victims, as announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday, saying it was essential to help those who had lost everything.

“I think that’s good. That’s what they need. Because they lost their house. They lost everything. The fire spread so fast,” said Alex, who also voiced concerns over safety regulations governing the proximity of residential areas to gas pipelines.

-- BERNAMA