RETIRED CIVIL SERVANT'S HOME DESTROYED IN PUTRA HEIGHTS DISASTER

KUALA LUMPUR, April 3 (Bernama) -- A retired civil servant never imagined that his joyous celebration of the second day of Eid with his family would become a devastating nightmare.

Zainuddin Abdul Halim, 60, is among those affected by the gas pipeline blaze in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya on Tuesday, which shocked the nation.

The fire not only destroyed his home but also engulfed eight of his rental units in Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru, along with other properties, causing damage exceeding RM1.5 million.

Tragically, Zainuddin and eight family members suffered burn injuries and had to be rushed to hospitals in Serdang and Putrajaya.

Their joyous occasion, shared in a 17-second TikTok video by @emxakmxr, showing the family celebrating Eid together, was juxtaposed with scenes of their home reduced to ashes.

The video, posted yesterday, has garnered over 1.9 million views and has been shared nearly 10,000 times by 8.45 pm today.

Speaking to reporters at the Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang, a visibly emotional Zainuddin revealed that the family had also been forced to cancel their planned Umrah pilgrimage next week due to the disaster.

Recalling the fateful morning, he said he had just returned from breakfast with a friend at a nearby stall.

“I bought breakfast for my wife, three children, two sons-in-law, a grandchild and my mother-in-law. After chatting with my wife, we were planning to visit Rembau, our hometown,” he said.

“Suddenly, there was a loud explosion and the house shook. It sounded like a jet crashing and we felt intense heat inside. When I looked outside, the sky was red. I screamed for everyone to get out and run for safety,” he added.

Zainuddin was discharged from the hospital yesterday, and his family is currently staying at his daughter’s place in Section 10, Shah Alam.

However, he revealed that his son had to be rushed to the Putrajaya Hospital for surgery after suffering burns to his feet while fleeing barefoot.

“We haven’t been back to our home to see the damage yet, but we hope the government can help us and other victims. This incident was beyond our control and we seek proper justice from the responsible parties,” he said.

-- BERNAMA