KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 (Bernama) -- “I told my wife this could explode.” These were the chilling words of a resident who had been observing excavation works near his neighbourhood days before a major gas pipeline blaze erupted in Putra Heights, Selangor, on Tuesday.
Jasbinder Singh, 53, a long-time resident of Putra Avenue, Putra Heights and a health and safety practitioner, shared his experience of witnessing the incident, which he described as a “chemical disaster” rather than a simple house fire.
“I saw the fire from my balcony, and immediately knew it was not a house on fire. It was too large. It must be a gas pipeline,” he described about the incident to Bernama, today.
Jasbinder, who has lived in the area for over 15 years, said he and his wife had often joked about the digging activities carried out near the pipeline, but had assumed the contractors were authorised and fully aware of the risks.
“I used to joke with my wife in the car - Did you ask them if they have permission to dig? I knew the pipeline was there,” he said.
He recalled feeling intense heat from the fire, describing it as “a strong ray, like sitting under the sun on a scorching beach day” and despite his house being located about 300 metres from the site of the explosion, he feared that the heat could cause his home to catch fire.
He said he acted swiftly to evacuate his wife and daughter, taking shelter at a nearby LRT station, while alerting the neighbours.
“I didn’t pick up anything. I just closed all windows, removed the curtains, scared they might get burned and ran,” he said.
Jasbinder monitored his house remotely using closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage and returned six hours later to collect essential documents.
He also called on Petronas and Gas Malaysia to engage directly with residents living along the pipeline to explain the safety protocols and provide reassurance.
“If the pipes cannot be relocated, then please give us peace of mind. We need to know what went wrong and how it will be prevented in future,” he said.
He emphasised the critical importance of having well-defined evacuation plans, particularly for households like his, tucked right between the raging fire and the neighbouring residents, where the danger was most imminent.
Jasbinder’s concerns reflect those of many other residents who are still reeling from the aftermath of the disaster, which has disrupted the lives of the communities of Putra Heights.
The fire at the Petronas gas pipeline, which occurred at 8.10 am on Tuesday (April 1), saw flames soaring over 30 metres high with temperatures reaching 1,000 degrees Celsius, and it took nearly eight hours to be completely extinguished.
A total of 87 houses have been declared as "total loss” in the aftermath of the disaster while 148 other affected houses that sustained damage are deemed to be safe and can be occupied after repairs.
More than 300 people were displaced and are being sheltered at two relief centres. However, no fatalities were reported.
-- BERNAMA
