Over 100 firemen battle raging oil tank fire in Kemaman

More than 100 firefighters are battling a raging fire, described as the biggest in Terengganu for years, that has destroyed two huge crude oil tanks and spread to a third 16 hours after it started at the Kemaman Bitumen Company (KBC).

Four people were injured by the blaze at the KBC in the Teluk Kalong Industrial Area, according to Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Azlimin Mat Noor.

He said the fire broke out at the three oil tanks containing about 20,059 litres of oil out of the five tanks at the facility.

“The first tank contained 4,800 litres of oil, the second had 1,580 litres and the third 13,679 litres,” he said.

“Of the three tanks, two have been gutted and we are trying to put out the fire at the third tank so that it does not spread to the other tanks...we are using foam to put out the fire from the bottom by injecting it into the tank,” he told reporters at the location today.

Azlimin said that so far the fire department had obtained 14,000 litres of foam from several industrial companies as well as from the department itself.

“We obtained 8,000 litres from several companies and 6,000 from JBPM itself, and we are also in the process of getting more foam from the headquarters.

“We do not have any problems getting water supply as we have the cooperation of Syarikat Air Terengganu (Satu). We also have water supply here and from the Kemaman Supply Base (KSB),” he said.

Of the four people injured, one is contractor Rosli Muhammad, 43, who suffered burns on the face and right hand. He was sent to the Kemaman Hospital and then moved to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital (HSNZ) in Kuala Terengganu yesterday.

The other three victims received outpatient treatment at the Kemaman Hospital.

According to Azlimin, the Terengganu JBPM received a telephone call about the fire at 6.26 pm yesterday and firefighters from the Chukai Fire station and elsewhere, including from Kuantan, Pahang, were rushed to the location.

“A total of 78 firefighters from Terengganu and 33 from Pahang were fighting the fire,” he said.

The firefighters were also assisted by 41 members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) from KBC and KSB, as well as other agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police and the Civil Defence Force.

-- Bernama