Malaysia fire: huge blaze erupts near Kuala Lumpur as gas pipeline explodes

Inferno spread to nearby homes, trapping residents, while full extent of damage still being assessed

A fireball erupted from a burst gas pipeline outside Malaysia's largest city, injuring 145 people as it burned for several hours before being extinguished.

The national oil company Petronas said the blaze started at one of its gas pipelines outside Kuala Lumpur. The inferno sent flames 20 storeys high and left a huge crater near a residential neighbourhood.

The health minister, Dzulkefly Ahmad, was quoted by the New Straits Times daily as saying 145 people including three children were injured. He said 67 people were still being treated at public hospitals, mostly for second and third-degree burns, while 37 others had sought treatment from clinics and private hospitals.

The fire department said the fire damaged 190 houses and 148 vehicles.