Mohamad, the agriculture and food security minister, said Putrajaya is committed to providing the necessary support for victims, some of whom had reportedly lost nearly all of their possessions, as recovery efforts continue.

He said the additional aid measures would depend on the authorities’ assessment of the damage.

“For those who have lost their homes, the prime minister has started the aid process, and this will be followed by other forms of assistance based on the extent of their losses,” he told reporters after visiting the site of the fire here.

Yesterday, FMT reported residents affected by the gas pipeline explosion as saying that the government’s financial aid of RM5,000 for every house damaged by the fire was insufficient.

Residents met by FMT at the incident control post said while the extent of their losses was not immediately known, they expected the RM5,000 to fall far short of what they needed.

Mohamad said the blaze was an unprecedented incident in Malaysia, which warranted a comprehensive review to determine the best course of action for long-term recovery.

Separately, transport minister Loke Siew Fook said victims who lost their vehicles’ documents in the fire could replace the papers for free at the Putra Heights Mosque relief centre.

The immigration department has also announced that victims can get new passports for free if theirs were damaged or lost in the fire.

They will need to submit a copy of a report filed with the police, fire and rescue department, or local government about the loss or damage of their passports in the fire.

Their passports must have been valid for a minimum of six months in order to be eligible for this initiative.