Living in the light of Deepavali after the Putra Heights inferno

Free Malaysia Today

Despite a quieter Deepavali celebration this year, Puspagaran Alakasundaram and his wife, Geetha Velmunigan, are grateful that their family survived the incident.   Story by: Sheela Vijayan  Shot by: Afizi Ismail  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Andrea Edmonds   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2025/10/20/living-in-the-light-of-deepavali-after-the-putra-heights-blaze   Laporan Lanjut:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/10/20/deepavali-terus-bercahaya-di-sebalik-kebakaran-putra-heights   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #Deepavali2025

Transcript

00:00All these years, 15 years, it's just gone in, just like split, you know, just like in a day.

00:05Everything is, you know, gone. All broke, everything.

00:09It's quite sad to see.

00:13The fateful morning of April 1st will forever be remembered by Puspagaran Alagasundaram and his family.

00:21It was the day a massive gas pipeline fire tore through their Putra Heights neighborhood.

00:26We were all together sleeping because that day we had, you know, we had a watching movie.

00:33And after that, we all slept in the same room. All four of us, we were there.

00:39Then we heard a sound, a sound including like a, I mean, it's like a, you know, like a earthquake kind of feeling.

00:49I can feel the building shaking. So we got up.

00:52Puspagaran, his wife and two sons rushed downstairs and escaped from the back of their house.

00:59Outside, their neighborhood was in chaos.

01:03Cars were burning while cries and screams filled the air.

01:07I was only thinking to survive. Just, you know, as long as all of us are in good condition, just go, go from there.

01:15That's nothing much. As long as I could save my kids, then I'm okay.

01:19They eventually reached the highway, injured, but safe and together.

01:24Returning days later, Puspagaran was met with a heartbreaking sight.

01:29One he will never forget.

01:31Yes, it's like become like, you know, like a haunted place, you know, like some war has completed, that place is like that.

01:39Everywhere, everything become brown, a lot of, though greenery is all gone, you know, couldn't see anything.

01:45The damage is like very bad.

01:49All these years, 15 years, it's just gone in just like split, you know, just like in a day.

01:54Everything is, you know, gone, all broke, everything, quite sad to see.

02:01Today, the family is living in a rented home.

02:06This Dipavali, the couple plans to visit their parents and later in the week, host a small get-together with the family.

02:13Dipavali may be quieter for them this year, but gratitude still fills their hearts because they survived the incident.

02:22For the couple, Dipavali is about being together with their loved ones, and that has remained, despite the fire that took their home.

02:29Actually, we are, yes, injured, traumatized, worried, and scared, but we are together.

02:37As long as you are still living and you are with your family.

02:40Yes.

03:00and Sheila Virgin, FMT.

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