PETALING JAYA: Zainal Abidin, a resident of an apartment complex at Ara Damansara, was at its joint management board office when a foul smell filled the air.
He thought there was a leak in the air-conditioning but as the smell got stronger, he realised it was something worse.
Ammonia gas had leaked from a nearby ice factory on Tuesday night, leaving residents choking and facing breathing difficulties.
“I saw residents leaving their apartments and complaining that they could not breathe,” he said.
“The Fire and Rescue Department came at around 10.40pm and told residents not to gather outside due to the gas leak,” he said.
One resident, who identified himself as Kumaran, said when he returned home at midnight, residents were outside the complex.
“My wife told me there was a gas leak and we had to evacuate our homes, but no one told us where to go,” he said.
Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul said a 400m area was cordoned off around the ice factory at Taman Perindustrian Jaya after the leak occurred at around 10.15pm.
He said although no one was hurt from the gas leak, residents were told to stay away from the area. They were only allowed to return at 5.30pm yesterday.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said his personnel had identified the cause of the gas leak.
“We conducted an operation to dilute the ammonia gas before releasing into the atmosphere,” he said.
