Residents of a Taiwan neighborhood where a series of pipeline explosions on Thursday killed at least 25 people and injured more than 260 are afraid to return to their homes for fear of further blasts.

Media reports compared the scene of the explosions in the southern city of Kaohsiung to images from a disaster movie.

Like Us on Facebook

Blocks of road are torn up after the explosions ripped through the neighborhood, exposing underground pipelines, cables and trenches.

Many homes and businesses have shattered windows.

"It looks as if a monster underground had suddenly awakened," according to BBC News.

The report said that to some residents the explosions felt like an earthquake, and to others it was like a bomb.

"The explosion was so strong it knocked me off my chair," said one female resident.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blasts.

But a chemical leak from a pipeline owned by one of Taiwan's petrochemical companies may have triggered the explosions, according to the report.

Residents, left without electricity, water and natural gas after the blasts, said they would rather stay outside than endure the summer heat in their homes.

Many are also afraid that petrochemical pipelines that run under the city streets are not safe.

A Kaohsiung City government spokesman said that the authorities would carry out a thorough inspection of the pipelines, some of which are already more than 20 years old.

Chen Chu, who is the mayor of Kaohsiung, has announced plans to replace the old underground pipelines, and sought the help of the central government to implement the project.

Taiwan's geographical location makes it prone to earthquakes, and there are risks of the pipes being damaged by tremors.

President Ma Ying-jeou has ordered an investigation into the source of the blasts, as well as measures to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Tagstaiwan pipeline blast, taiwan gas leak, kaohsiung, gas leak accident