KUALA LUMPUR, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters are battling a huge gas pipeline fire in Puchong, a district in Malaysia's Selangor state near the capital Kuala Lumpur, after receiving a distress call at 8:23 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
Fire-fighting operations are currently underway with a section of pipeline about 500 meters long being affected, Selangor Fire and Rescue Department operations assistant director Ahmad Mukhlis Mukhtar said in a statement.
"The fire occurred near a public housing area, and firefighters along with other agencies, evacuated residents in the area," he said.
Videos showing a towering fire that could be seen for several kilometers have been circulating since early on Tuesday, with members of the public also reporting loud sounds accompanying the fire. ■