A massive fire forced residents to evacuate their homes during the Eid celebrations in Malaysia on Tuesday, as it engulfed residential districts near Kuala Lumpur.
Seven people had to be rescued after multiple homes caught fire, though no casualties were reported, according to Selangor state fire officials.
The blaze, visible from several kilometres away, was triggered by “a gas pipeline leak stretching approximately 500 metres,” the fire officials stated. The affected pipeline, owned by Malaysia’s state-run oil firm Petronas, had its valve shut off to contain the fire.
Residents, who were enjoying a public holiday for the Eid festivities in the Muslim-majority nation, had to flee the area in panic.
“All of a sudden, we heard a loud bang and then total chaos,” said one resident, who lived 200 metres from the fire, speaking to media. “We immediately left the house and soon saw other residents leaving too.”
