Kuala Lumpur: A colossal fire erupted on Tuesday in a Malaysian suburb outside Kuala Lumpur, news agencies have reported, prompting evacuations of nearby homes.
Operations are ongoing to try to tackle the blaze., authorities said,
The towering inferno near a petrol station in Putra Heights in central Selangor state was visible for many miles.
Selangor’s chief minister said 12 people were injured and 82 had been rescued, state news agency Bernama reported.
Pictures and videos of the fireball went viral on social media, with some residents saying they felt the doors and windows of their homes shaking due to the explosion of fire.
The Star English-language newspaper reported that firefighters on the ground identified a burst pipeline as the cause of the fire. Malaysian state energy firm Petronas confirmed in a statement that a gas pipeline it operated had caught fire. It said the pipeline had been isolated.
A large flame rose from a leak in a pipeline that is around 500 meters (1,640 feet) long in the town of Puchong, the Selangor fire department said in a statement, adding that Petronas had closed the valve on the burning pipeline.
The fire department said it was still investigating the extent of the spread of the fire in the residential area.
