KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats in Cheras, here, claim that someone was playing with firecrackers before the fire broke out, destroying six residential units on the 17th floor.
Nurul Adirah Mohd Roslan, 26, who lives on the seventh floor, said she was just outside her front door with her husband and mother-in-law when she heard the explosion.
"At 9.15pm last night, while we were chatting outside the house, we heard an explosion that I believe was firecrackers or fireworks from the upper floors.
"About 30 minutes later, the situation became chaotic and the fire department arrived at the scene. My family and I hurried down to save ourselves," she told reporters when met at the scene.
Meanwhile, another resident of the block, Reduan Md Yusof, 45, said he and his wife were getting ready for bed when there was commotion and the screams of neighbours forced them to leave.
"We were alone at home... getting ready to sleep. We heard the neighbours, so we rushed downstairs.
"We had to go down the stairs from the eighth floor for safety," he said.
Earlier, it was reported that six homes on the 17th floor of Block 70 of the Sri Sabah flats caught fire.