Putra Heights blast survivors return and rebuild, a year on
PETALING JAYA: Nearly a year after a gas pipeline explosion tore through Putra Heights, a family in the affected Kampung Sungai Baru shares how determined they are to rebuild their lives.
Mohd Radzi Mohd Rashid, 44, said his family living in two houses there are learning to live with the trauma while trying to rebuild their lives and move forward.
The bus operator said despite lingering fears, leaving the village where he grew up is simply not an option.
“I was born here and have lived here for 44 years. This is our home. No matter what happened, we cannot imagine moving elsewhere,” he said when met at his home yesterday.
But the memories of that day still haunt him. He recalled how the family had been resting at home on April 1 after the exhaustion of celebrating the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri the day before.
That morning, his mother, Yatimah Mohd Nor, 70, had asked him to buy roti canai for breakfast, he recounted.
“But moments later, our quiet morning turned into a nightmare.
“It sounded like war had broken out. The explosion was deafening, like a massive bomb had gone off. Then we saw huge flames shooting into the sky,” he said.
In the chaos that followed, Mohd Radzi said he could only hold his mother tightly as they sought refuge inside the bathroom.
He said that for more than 45 terrifying minutes they waited, not knowing what would happen next.
“We just held on to each other. At that moment, we didn’t know if we would survive,” he said.
He was thankful that his family members were eventually rescued by firefighters before being rushed to hospital for treatment. Mohd Radzi said he suffered second-degree burns in the incident.
Next door, his sister Rohaidah Mohd Rashid, 43, said the tragedy has left a scar on the family.
“We bought a new sofa for Hari Raya last year but it lasted only a day before everything was destroyed in the fire,” she said.
This year, the festive spirit feels distant.
“When we ask our mother, she says she has no mood to celebrate.
“We didn’t buy new clothes or cookies this year either,” she said.
The tragedy has also left scars on a younger member of the family.
Rohaidah said her youngest son, Muhammad Izzad Syazlan, 12, is still struggling to cope with the trauma.
“Even after a year, he still remembers that day. The burn scars on his back remain until today,” she said.
