Firefighters battling a massive blaze at the Selangor Wholesale Market in Seri Kembangan faced a major challenge after discovering around 2,000 methane gas canisters stored inside the burning premises.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division assistant director Ashrul Riezal Asbar said several explosions occurred during the early stages of the operation, but firefighters managed to bring the situation under control.
Initial assessments revealed that the large number of methane gas canisters significantly increased the risks faced by emergency responders.
“Based on our assessment at the scene, we were informed that there were approximately 2,000 methane gas canisters inside the premises.
“There were several explosions at the beginning of the operation, but we managed to contain the situation,” he told reporters during a media briefing at the scene.
The fire destroyed a metal goods warehouse at the Selangor Wholesale Market and spread to several nearby premises.
Ashrul said firefighters are still working to extinguish flames in three storage units located at the rear of the affected building.
The department received an emergency call at 11.04pm, with the first fire engine from the Seri Kembangan Fire and Rescue Station arriving at the scene nine minutes later.
The blaze was brought under control at 1.20am, and no casualties have been reported so far.
A total of 68 firefighters from 15 fire stations across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya were deployed, assisted by 11 volunteer fire brigades and police personnel.
Ashrul said the operation also faced water supply difficulties after five nearby fire hydrants could not be used because they were under private management.
“As a result, we relied entirely on water supplied by our fire engines and water tankers throughout the operation,” he said.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, and investigations will begin once firefighting operations have been fully completed.
Earlier reports said the large fire destroyed a metal goods premises at the Selangor Wholesale Market before spreading to several adjacent buildings. However, the swift response by firefighters successfully prevented the flames from reaching the market’s main building.
