JOHOR BARU: Efforts to put out the fire that engulfed 24 bags containing aluminium dross chemical waste at Jalan Perindustrian 5, Pontian Industrial Area, near Pontian, using soil and sand, are still ongoing.
Pontian Baru Fire and Rescue operations commander, assistant Fire Supt Iqbal Raduan said there were 1,116 bags containing a total of 558 tonnes of chemical waste but only 24 bags were found to have caught fire.
All unaffected bags had been removed and placed at a safe area within the factory compound.
“Each bag weighing 500 kg of chemical waste. At 11.30am, a team from the Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) unit has been working to douse the fire by using soil and sand,” he said in a statement today.
Iqbal said the Fire and Rescue Department was waiting for the Department of Environment (DOE) to remove and dispose of the waste.
He said no fatalities had been reported so far as the cause of the fire and estimated losses were being investigated.
As of 3.30pm, the fire-fighting operation was still ongoing, he said.
Last night, Iqbal was reported to have said the Johor Fire and Rescue Department operations centre received the emergency call at 3.59 pm yesterday.
Two fire engines from Pontian Baru Fire and Rescue Station with nine firefighters and assisted by seven Hazmat members from Johor Bahru Fire and Rescue Station were rushed to the scene to put out the fire.
He said upon arriving at the location, they found that the fire could not be extinguished with water as it would release harmful fumes. — Bernama
