CHUKAI, July 6, — Terengganu Mentri Besar Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar has urged the residents in the surrounding area of the Kemaman Bitumen Company (KBC) oil refinery in Teluk Kalong, to be on alert of their health status after its three crude oil tanks caught fire yesterday evening.
He said based on the briefing by the Department of Environment, the readings of the Air Pollutant Index (API) around Teluk Kalong, Kemaman, were still under control and should not be a cause for concern.
“Currently, the level of chlorine gas being released is only 0.1 ppm compared to the dangerous level of 1 to 10 ppm. This fire involves only crude oil without any chemical being added to it, and we expect no untoward incident as this is an open area.
“What we are worried most is the release of chlorine and carbon monoxide gas, though it is still at a minimum level now, I hope that the people in the surrounding area are more careful and sensitive to any changes in their health status, especially among the children.
“If they are experiencing breathing difficulties, please take them to nearby health clinic for treatment,” he told reporters after visiting the scene here earlier today.
Also present were Terengganu police chief Datuk Aidi Ismail; State Trade, Industrial, Regional Development and Administrative Wellbeing Committee chairman Datuk Tengku Hassan Tengku Omar and Chukai assemblyman Hanafiah Mat.
The fire which broke out at 6.15pm yesterday involved three (out of five) tanks containing crude oil, with the first tank contained 4,800 litres of oil, the second had 1,580 litres and the third 13,679 litres.
A contractor was seriously injured while three others suffered minor injuries in the incident.
Meanwhile, Aidi said that residents of the three villages around the Teluk Kalong industrial area would be relocated if the situation worsened.
Thus far, about 2,000 residents from Kampung Bukit Kuang, Kijal and Teluk Kalong have been informed of the possibility for evacuation, he said.
In the meantime, State Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) director Azlimin Mat Noor announced that a special committee would be set up to investigate the incident.
He said the committee would conduct detailed investigations as the fire was a high-profile case involving losses of millions of ringgit.
“Based on our standard operating procedure, the report must be completed within three weeks,” he told reporters here tonight.
He said on the second day of operation to put out the blaze at the plant today, the number of firefighters involved had increased to 146 comprising officers and personnel from Terengganu JBPM, as well as 50 firefighters from Pahang JBPM. — Bernama
