A large number of people have been injured after a fire broke out at a gas pipeline operated by Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas on Tuesday, the fire department said.

News agencies say some 100 people have been hurt, with both Reuters and AFP reporting that around 60 people had been hospitalized for burns, breathing difficulties or other injuries.

The incident occurred near the capital Kuala Lumpur and forced a number of people to flee from their homes.

The blaze also damaged at least 49 houses, firefighters said.

What do we know about the fire?

The fire, which broke out during Eid celebrations, was caused by "a gas pipeline leak stretching approximately 500 meters (1,600 feet)," according to a statement from Selangor state fire officials.

The valve to the affected pipeline has been shut off, the statement said.

Eyewitnesses said the blaze was visible for several kilometers (miles).

Seven residents had to be rescued from their homes after they caught fire, the statement said.

Selangor Disaster Management Committee chairman Mohd Najwan Halimi told state news agency Bernama that there were people trapped in houses in the village of Kampung Kuala Sungai Baru and rescue efforts were ongoing,

"All of a sudden, we heard a loud bang and then total chaos," a resident living near the site of the fire was quoted as saying by the The Star newspaper.

"We immediately left the house and soon saw other residents leaving too."

The Eid celebrations mark the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Edited by: Zac Crellin