KUALA LUMPUR: "I saw the sky turn orange," recalled Shahril Mohamad, 50, as he described the tense moments he experienced during Tuesday's gas pipeline fire at Jalan Harmoni, Putra Heights.
Shahril, a private sector employee and resident of Putra Harmoni, said he witnessed the dramatic scene after hearing a loud explosion that sounded like a plane crash.
"I went out of the house to see what was happening and saw the sky glowing orange. I could hear my neighbours shouting, telling everyone to evacuate because the heat from the fire was so intense.
"At the time, I was alone at home as my wife had already left for work. I didn’t have time to grab anything- not even my mobile phone. I just ran, following my neighbours to safety.
"Later that night, I was able to return home with the police to retrieve some belongings and rescue my three cats. Thankfully, they were safe, and the house was largely unaffected- only the pipes had melted," he told reporters at the Incident Command Post on Wednesday (April 2).
Another resident of Putra Harmoni, Wen Chong, 45, recalled how he and his family managed to escape after hearing an explosion, which he described as sounding like a bomb, and seeing neighbouring houses catch fire from the intense heat.
"I have two dogs, but I had to leave them behind during the chaos. Fortunately, this morning, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) managed to rescue one of them. Sadly, the other did not survive and perished in the fire.
"Thankfully, not all of my belongings were destroyed- only the roof of my house and my car melted due to the intense heat," he said.
Meanwhile, Tengku Sharifah Hajar Tengku Syed Nordin, 72, who has lived in Putra Harmoni for 14 years, described the incident as a tragic event for her and the community.
"Despite the damage to our homes and belongings, we are grateful that everyone made it out safely," she said.
Now staying with her family, she noted that some of her neighbours have sought shelter with relatives, in hotels, or at the relief centre at the Putra Heights Mosque.
"We are still traumatised by what happened," she added. - Bernama
