Couple killed in early morning blaze in Kota Belud

KOTA KINABALU: Two people were killed in an early morning blaze in Kota Belud district. The charred remains of the victims, a 47-year-old couple, were found in the bathroom area of the burnt-down house. Kota Belud Fire Station chief Elgi Bakuk said they found the remains at around 4am. He stated they received the distress call from Kg...

Fire near South Korea’s Jogye temple contained, treasures spared, say officials (update)

SEOUL: A fire broke out on Tuesday (June 10) in a building housing some of South Korea's national treasures neighbouring the historic Buddhist Jogye temple in Seoul, but it was later extinguished and there was no damage to the artefacts or injuries, fire officials said. More than 300 monks and officials from the Jogye order, who...

Putra Heights inferno: 42 victims still hospitalised, says Health Ministry

PUTRAJAYA: Forty-two of the 145 victims of the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, last Tuesday are still receiving treatment at hospitals, according to the Health Ministry. It said that 24 victims were being treated, including one in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Hospital Ampang, while 18 others were at private hospitals. It said a 65-year-old man...

Putra Heights inferno: TNB announces 100% electricity bill rebate for victims

KUALA LUMPUR: Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) will implement its TNB Fire Relief Assistance programme, offering a one-off 100% rebate on one month’s electricity bill for customers whose homes were affected by the gas pipeline blaze in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya. TNB, in a statement on Thursday (April 3) said this rebate will be based on the March 2025 billing...

Putra Heights inferno: Affected civil servants allowed to work from home

PUTRAJAYA: Civil servants affected by the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights on Tuesday have been granted permission to work from home (WFH), according to Public Service director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz. He assured that this arrangement would not disrupt the continuity of public services. "Department heads have the discretion to approve WFH requests...

Putra Heights inferno: Bread company temporarily halts production

KUALA LUMPUR: The Italian Baker Sdn Bhd, producer of Massimo bread loaves, has announced a temporary disruption in the production of its bakery products due to the gas pipeline blaze in Putra Heights, which had affected the LNG supply to its factory. In a statement on Thursday (April 3), the company said its bakery products might...

Subang Jaya inferno: Chronology of events

KUALA LUMPUR: The gas pipeline inferno at Jalan Putra Harmoni, Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, Selangor, on Tuesday (April 1) morning sent shockwaves through the surrounding community, with some describing it as like a massive earthquake. Flames soared tens of metres into the sky, visible from several kilometres away. Rescue and firefighting efforts continue to contain the...

Subang Jaya inferno: Very low chance of secondary blast, says Bomba DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The likelihood of a secondary explosion following Tuesday’s (April 1) gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, is very low, according to the Fire and Rescue Department. Director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said this was because no gas flow was detected this evening after the closure of four main valves in Kampung Lombong...

‘Residents immediately evacuated at 8am because the heat was too strong’

PETALING JAYA: Soon after explosions were heard in Putra Heights, residents rushed to vacate their homes because the heat was too strong, a resident recounts. Tan Sri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir, a retiree, said he is working with the local community to shelter fire victims here. “The explosion was about 8.12am. Then people just evacuated...