SERDANG, July 24 — Firefighters battled a major blaze at the Selangor Wholesale Market in Seri Kembangan last night, where the presence of 2,000 methane gas canisters sparked a chain of explosions.

The operation was severely hampered by a critical infrastructure failure. Selangor Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) Operations Division Assistant Director Ashrul Riezal Asbar said that five nearby fire hydrants were unusable because they were under private management, forcing crews to rely entirely on water from fire engines and tanker lorries, BH reported.

The fire, believed to have started at approximately 10:50 pm, spread rapidly due to strong winds. The intensity of the flames and thick smoke were so severe that the fire was visible from nearly three kilometres away.

A massive contingent of 68 JBPM officers and 67 Fire Volunteer members were deployed to the scene. Supported by 19 vehicles from 15 different Fire and Rescue Stations across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya, the teams managed to contain the blaze by 1:20 am.

“In the early stages, there were indeed several explosions,” Ashrul said. “Thankfully, we managed to bring it under control.”

While the fire spread to several nearby premises, firefighters successfully prevented the flames from reaching the main market building, which houses the fish, vegetable, and meat sections.

This critical area was located only 50 metres from the burning premises.

No casualties have been reported. However, extinguishing operations continued today at three storage areas at the rear of the site.

The cause of the fire and the total estimated losses remain under investigation.