KUALA LUMPUR — A gas pipeline operated by Malaysia state energy firm Petronas caught fire on Tuesday on the outskirts of the capital Kuala Lumpur, authorities said, with operations ongoing to try to tackle the blaze.
Petronas in a statement said the pipeline had been isolated. The Selangor fire department said the blaze has affected nearby homes and seven people had been rescued so far.
Thirty-three people were injured and six of those hospitalised, according to the department.
Images carried by local news outlets and footage shared on social media showed a massive fire and a huge orange flame on the horizon with smoke billowing out.
A large flame rose from a leak in a pipeline that is approximately 500 metres long in the town of Puchong, the department said in a statement, adding Petronas has closed the valve on the burning pipeline.
The fire department said it was still investigating the extent of the spread of fire in the residential area.
