Wednesday March 19, 2008
Workers: Blast came out of the blue
IPOH: Malayan Flour Mill labourer N. Gunalan had no warning before an explosion erupted from the tunnel belonging to the factory near Segari, about 15km from Lumut.
He and 19 others were carrying out routine maintenance work on the tunnel when the blast occurred, killing three workers and seriously injuring four others.
“What’s puzzling is that there was no foul smell in the tunnel,” the 22-year-old man told reporters yesterday from his bed at Manjung Hospital, about 90km from here.
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Be brave: Mohammad Nizar consoling Lok Min Yee, 10, whose father died in the explosion. |
The Monday incident, which occurred at 2pm, claimed the lives of Low Pin Tin, 53, from Sungai Pari Towers in Buntong, here, Mohd Faizul Mohd Said, 29, from Kg Tebok Yan in Segari, and Lok Lai Kiat, 51, from Sitiawan.
Another victim, security guard Mokhtadir Abd Rahman, 48, said he was standing outside the tunnel when the explosion ripped through the nearby jetty.
“Moments later, I saw a boulder flying through the sky and coming towards me.
“I quickly jumped into the sea to escape the huge rock,” said the father of three who sustained injuries to his head as a result of the jump.
Lok’s widow Tiong Chew Ling, 52, said her husband was the family’s breadwinner.
“I will definitely face financial difficulties as I just resigned from my job in Singapore a month ago,” said the mother of a 10-year-old daughter Min Yee.
Perak Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, who visited the victims and their family members yesterday, had instructed the Department of Occupational Safety and Health to investigate the accident.
“If there were negligence on the factory’s part, the state will not hesitate to take the necessary action against them,” he said.
Mohammad Nizar also announced a RM1,500 gratuity to the families of the deceased, RM1,000 for Amril and RM500 each for the three injured.
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