SUBANG JAYA – At least 112 people were hurt and 49 houses damaged in the 8.10am gas pipe blaze in Jalan Putra Harmoni Putra Heights here today.
Selangor deputy police chief Mohd Zaini Abu Hassan said the victims were residents of Taman Harmoni and Kampung Kuala Kuala Sungai Baharu.
“Of the 112 victims, 63 have been sent to Cyberjaya, Serdang and Putrajaya hospitals for treatment as they suffered from burns, breathing difficulties and other injuries.
“The other 49 received initial medical attention at the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple in Subang Jaya,” he said in a press conference at the Fire and Rescue operations centre.
He added that two temporary relief centres have been opened at Nurul Iman Mosque and Putra Heights Mosque to house other affected residents.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari has urged the public to stay away from the incident site as fire and rescue teams are still trying to extinguish the blaze.
“Our priority is to contain the fire and save the victims,” he said in a statement today.
So far 78 firefighters have been deployed to fight the blaze since 8.10am.
Meanwhile, JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad told Bernama that Petronas had shut the four main valves of the gas pipeline, located in Dengkil, Puchong, Batu Tiga and Meru, to release the remaining natural gas. This process began at 8.46 am today.
He added that the distance between the first and fourth valves spans 32 kilometres.
He said the final valve was closed at 11.48 am, and Petronas anticipates that it will take about four hours for the natural gas to be fully released, allowing the fire to subside, and eventually extinguish.
“The JBPM did not face any water shortages during this operation, but our main focus was on releasing the gas to allow the fire to extinguish naturally.”
He said by 1.30 pm today, the gas pressure in the burning pipeline had dropped to 8%, compared with 50% this morning.
Nor Hisham urged the public, particularly those with family members in the affected area, to come forward with any information which could help facilitate the evacuation process.
“We are preparing for the second phase, which will involve locating victims who may be trapped inside their homes, as well as assessing the plastic and carbon remnants from the fire, to assist the team in safely entering the area and extinguishing any remaining flames.”
Earlier, former Petronas vice-president Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir told Scoop that it would take a few more hours before the fire in Putra Heights is extinguished as authorities need to allow for the gas between the closed valves to run out.
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. – April 1, 2025