Tuesday August 19, 2008
Another fuel tank goes up in flames
By MEERA VIJAYAN
JOHOR BARU: The inferno at the Tanjung Langsat Port, near Pasir Gudang, 45km east of here, worsened as a second fuel storage tank caught fire, while attempts to put out the blaze at the first tank were thwarted by insufficient fire-fighting material, strong winds and rain.
The adjacent tank, containing about 8,000 cubic metres of highly flammable naptha, caught fire around 7.10pm yesterday after overheating. The first tank, containing unleaded gasoline, ignited at 6.45pm on Sunday.
Fire and Rescue Department assistant director-general (operations) Amer Yusuf said fire-fighters from Malacca, Federal Territory, Negri Sembilan and Pahang were mobilised to assist in the operation.
“We need a lot more foam before we can put the flames out,” he said yesterday.
When asked if there was a possibility other nearby tanks would be affected, Amer said this could not be ruled out if the fire was not extinguished in time.
Burning danger: Firemen battling the fire at the Tanjung Langsat Port near Pasir Gudang yesterday. There are six other tanks nearby, containing naptha, gasoline and methyl tertiary butyl ether, and it is believed 50% of their contents have been relocated.
The cause of the initial fire was still under investigation, Amer said.
There are about 200 personnel and 13 fire engines on site working to put out the blaze. So far, no one has been injured.
A spokesman for Swiss oil trader Trafigura Pte Ltd, which leased the tanks in June this year, said they were awaiting completion of a full assessment of the damage before they could assign a value to the loss.
Crowds of by-standers gathered a few kilometres from the scene yesterday to watch as the twin tanks burned, with flames as high as 40m.
“It looks like a scene from hell,” said 23-year-old student Jamil Jais.
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