KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Apart from initial medical aid, families of the victims of yesterday’s gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, are appealing for essential supplies such as clothing and food.

A family member of one of the victims, Mohd Rusman Mohamad Nasir, said most of the victims’ homes were completely destroyed, leaving them with no time to save any personal belongings.

“The zakat authorities, the Sri Serdang state assemblyman’s office, and a fast-food company (McDonald’s) have provided initial aid at Masjid Nurul Iman and Masjid Putra Heights, including medical assistance. But if we could also get clothing and undergarments, that would help,” he told Bernama at Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang.

Meanwhile, Rohanawati Ismail, the mother of one of the victims, said her eldest child, 28, had managed to call her when the fire broke out.

“She called to tell me the house was on fire and that the flames were coming from the kitchen, not from a gas cylinder, but from the gas pipeline. At that moment, they only had time to run out with nothing but the clothes on their back,” she said, also expressing hope for assistance with basic necessities.

An Indonesian victim, Rusman Abdul Samad, who was at the hospital accompanying an injured friend, described the heat during the incident as unbearable.

“I thought a plane was flying overhead because the noise was loud, like an aircraft engine, but when I stepped outside, I saw massive flames from a gas leak,” he said.

Meanwhile, Masayuan Takbir, 38, who was met after receiving treatment at the Emergency and Trauma Department of Putrajaya Hospital, told Bernama she was still traumatised by the incident.

She said she had to flee with her two children while her husband was at work at the time.

“Without thinking about anything else, I rushed out of the house with my two children, aged nine and two, through the back door in the kitchen, fearing that the situation could worsen,” she said, adding that she was barefoot as she escaped.

“As I was running, my child’s asthma medication fell, and I had to go back to retrieve it despite the intense heat. My second child suffered severe burns, with flesh visible on his arm.

“At that moment, I felt like I was going to die, but my child told me to recite prayers. Those words gave me the strength to keep going,” she said. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian rescuers have recovered two more bodies from the rubble of a collapsed Buddhist temple, as frantic efforts continue in the search for survivors, more than five days after a powerful earthquake struck Myanmar.

The earthquake rattled Myanmar on March 28.

Myanmar's military government reports that the disaster has claimed the lives of over 2,700 people, with more than 4,500 others injured.

Members of the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (Smart) deployed to Myanmar's Sagaing region recovered another two bodies – a father and son – yesterday, who had been crushed by concrete slabs.

"A father was tightly holding his child, but the weight of the building's walls and floor proved too much to bear," the team said in a Facebook post.

Rescuers took four hours to bore through cement to retrieve the bodies.

After using nearly all of their special rescue equipment, the body of a 39-year-old father was successfully recovered, along with his 8-year-old child, and handed over to family members.

The 50-member Smart team, which arrived in Myanmar on March 30, has so far pulled out six bodies in total.

Myanmar is currently reeling from the aftermath of a massive earthquake. The 7.7-magnitude tremor was felt across neighbouring regions, including Thailand and southwest China.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Alliance for a Safe Community (IKATAN) today called on Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) and relevant authorities to conduct a transparent investigation into the cause of the leak and measures to be taken following the gas pipeline fire in Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Its chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the investigation and measures are important to prevent future incidents and IKATAN, as a prominent safety advocacy NGO, has also expressed deep concern over the incident.

“While we acknowledge Petronas’ swift response to contain the situation, we urge continued vigilance to ensure the safety of affected communities and the environment.

“We call also on Petronas and relevant authorities to provide real-time updates on the situation, including air quality assessments and potential health risks, and meanwhile ensure thorough evacuations and support for impacted families, especially vulnerable groups,” he said in a statement today.

Earlier, Petronas confirmed that a fire occurred at Petronas Gas Bhd’s (PGB) main pipeline near Putra Heights, Selangor at 8.10 am today.

Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari says the two areas will be classified as ‘restricted zones’ until they are confirmed safe.

The morning pipeline fire at Jalan Harmoni, Putra Heights, in Subang Jaya has finally been put out, but two residential areas have been declared restricted zones.

Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said the blaze, which followed an explosion at 8.10am, had been put out by 3.45pm.

However, he said homes within a 290m radius will remain off-limits until the authorities confirm it is safe for residents to return.

Amirudin said the initial report on the incident was expected to be completed within 72 hours.

He said a thorough investigation would be conducted to identify the cause of the incident.

At the same time, he also advised the public not to speculate on the incident, but to channel any information that could help the authorities.

“Information shared on social media needs to be verified.”

He advised the affected residents not to return to their homes until the situation is declared safe by the authorities.

“So far, 305 victims have been rescued and placed at temporary relief centres or treated at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Sunway Medical Centre, and the Serdang and Putrajaya government hospitals,” he said in a Facebook post after visiting the incident site today.

“Thankfully, as of 5pm, no fatalities have been reported.” The massive fire broke out earlier this morning from a leak in a Petronas Gas Bhd main pipeline.

Those affected by the fire were primarily from Taman Harmoni and Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru. At least 190 homes, 148 cars and 12 motorcycles were damaged. Several key sections of the Elite highway were closed but reopened later.