JOHOR BAHRU, Dec 15 — The Johor Fire and Rescue Department will be investigating if a burning four-wheel drive vehicle was linked to Saturday’s fatal crane collapse at the Malakoff Power Plant in Kukup, Pontian.
Its assistant director Senior Fire Officer I Muhammad Tarmizi Md Jaafar said that a report on the burning vehicle, believed to be related to the fatal incident, is being actively pursued.
“The probe will be focused on the fire involving a four-wheel drive at the location when the crane collapsed at the power plant.
“We have yet to determine if the burning vehicle was linked to the crane collapse incident,” he told reporters when contacted today following reports that the two incidents were related.
Muhammad Tarmizi explained that firemen and emergency personnel were focused on putting out the fire as well as the search and rescue efforts on the day of incident.
He said the operation took 15 firemen from two fire stations more than four hours starting at 1pm on Saturday.
In a related development, Pontian police chief Superintendent Hadzrat Hussien Mion Hussain said investigators were awaiting for the results of the probe.
“The next course of action will be dependent on the fire department’s full investigation, in addition to a report from the Malakoff Power Plant’s management,” he said.
The incident on Saturday claimed two lives and left three others injured when a coal-handling crane collapsed at the Malakoff Power Plant in Tanjung Bin near Kukup, Pontian.
The incident also triggered a fire.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof was reported to call for a thorough, transparent and comprehensive investigation into the incident.
Fadillah, who is also the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister, urged the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), the police, the Energy Commission, and relevant technical agencies to determine the exact cause of the incident.
