By Norrasyidah Arshad
SUBANG JAYA, April 4 — Television presenter Aidil Abdul Ghaffar ran 700 meters to save his life during the inferno caused by a leaked gas pipe here on Tuesday.
Aidil recalled to the media how he ran between trees and residential blocks to hide from the intense heat while escaping the blaze. At the same time, he said, he tried to contact the authorities to inform them about the fire but wasn’t able to get the call through.
Not wanting to give up, he called his friend who was also a fireman.
“It felt like a volcanic eruption. I truly thought it was the aftermath of a volcanic eruption (from a neighbouring county). My front door shook and the temperature was burning,” he told Media Selangor last night.
“My son and daughter-in-law managed to save our car. From my house, I could see people running. Initially I did not want to head outside, but I heard my wife screaming for us to leave.
”I then ran for about 700 meters towards the secondary jungle near the Elite Highway. When we got there, everything fell silent. It felt different from other kinds of natural calamities.”
[caption id="attachment_396066" align="alignnone" width="300"]
The view from Persiaran Harmoni after a mega fire broke out at Jalan Putra Harmoni in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, on April 1, 2025. — Picture by HARUN TAJUDIN/MEDIASELANGOR[/caption]
Aidil added: “I think everyone was in a state of shock and panic. We all wondered what had happened. There were also those who had sustained burns, and so we helped each other the best we could while waiting for assistance.”
Aidil also said he is seeking other victims of the incident who might want legal assistance to contact him.
“Please call me at 010-9019535. We want to ease things for the people of Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru and Kampung Tengah as all of us are now left with nothing but the clothes on our backs.”
Aidil is among the 339 victims from 89 families who have been placed at Dewan Serbaguna Masjid Putra Heights since April 1.
